Two Worlds
by Qatari-Penguin
Summary: When a rift opens between the Human and Demon worlds and a certain fox passes through, he'll have to rely on all the wits he possesses to survive everything from pianos to cars.
1. The Rift

**Disclaimer**: Youko Kurama is not mine. Yu Yu Hakusho is not mine, and Kuronue is not either. Leave me alone!

* * *

Chapter 1: The Rift

Fiery red splotches of lava were scattered randomly around Demon World, bubbling ominously, waiting for an unwary demon to wander too close. They made the ground around them unstable and frequently caused the earth to give way in large portions at a time. The soil surrounding these hell spots was barren from the extreme heat, which didn't permit any plant life to grow. This region was usually avoided, but some demons seek such thrills. Such as this demon…

"These get easier every time. There aren't even earthquakes anymore."

A younger demon hovered above one of the lava pits, his face crestfallen. It had been his fun to cross the lava grounds, though anymore they just sat, appearing dangerous to anyone who didn't visit the area often. That was a considerable amount of the demons in the Makai, most because they'd heard stories of the countless demons to fall to the lava's fiery wrath. It was stories such as these that had attracted the attention of the demon that now stood surveying the pits in disappointment.

"There has to be something around here that doesn't get dull." The demon brushed his silver bangs from his eyes and surveyed the lands around him; desolate, dried up earth in all directions. He groaned and took to the skies, searching for his comrade whom he'd left earlier. If he found something interesting in the meantime, he would check it out first. A sudden surge of demonic power sparked his interest, and he scanned the ground for its source. There was something enticing about that aura, something almost familiar…

"Kurama! Down here!" Another demon floated a few feet from the ground. He waved to his friend, who immediately flew over. "Anything good Kurama?"

"Nothing Kuronue. The lava's completely still, and there's nothing else in this region worth our interest." Kurama shrugged half-heartedly. The fox demon had been wandering Demon World for several hours without success, searching for something to keep him and his friend interested. They were thieves by trade, plundering the most unsuspecting demons before they could blink. But there was no one around that day, and thrill-seekers like themselves lose interest quickly.

"We could search around for travelers and give them a good scare." Kuronue scanned his friend's face for a spark of interest, though his amber eyes remained cold and indifferent. Kurama was one of the most famous thieves in the area, and everyone knew it. His lithe physique and hard eyes struck fear into everyone who saw him, and they were petrified long enough for him to rob them and slit their throats. His fox features gave him a strangely sinister look, intensified by his sharp fangs and claws. He was a demon meant to be feared.

"We've terrorized travelers many times Kuronue," Kurama told him in a scornful voice. It had been fun at first, attacking a traveler and leaving him stranded, but it didn't make up for the fact that the idea was very monotonous. They were professional thieves, not just run-of-the-mill bandits. They were after bigger things. "You know yourself no one travels through here besides us anyway, they all fear the lava pits."

Kuronue nodded with a slightly embarrassed shrug and glanced around, waiting for inspiration to strike. If he could figure out something to do in a desolate land like this, Kurama would really be impressed. "What if," he began slowly, "we went to see Hyoga? That shaman must have something interesting." Kuronue waited as his friend considered his notion then nodded his approval.

"Hyoga has quite a reputation as a shaman. He might have something to say."

Kurama took flight, and his friend followed suit, gliding over the empty lands of the lave pits for the less barren lands to the north. That was where Hyoga was usually found, traveling around in nothing more than a tent at times, spreading his witchcraft. He was a very curious demon, claiming he was the embodiment of shadow itself, and entertained old and young demons alike with his tales of other lands. Kurama had come to know him after mistaking the shaman for a weak traveler and attempting to plunder his belongings, only to have his hair and tail turn into snakes for his insolence. Since then he'd asked the sorcerer for advise many times, and listened to his tales of the land beyond the Makai, the Living World. This particular place captured the fox's curiosity and made him ever more aware of the world he lived in.

"Do you think Hyoga's learned anything new since we last went to see him?" Kuronue asked. They had gone on several occasions like this to the shaman, listening to stories and legends even he didn't know much about. It amazed Kuronue that a demon could learn so much about the other worlds out there, or if there even where other places after all. "That looks like him Kurama." Kuronue pointed to a figure in the far distance. The demons began their descent and landed smoothly on the ground nearby an erected tent of skins.

Kurama lifted the door-flap and poked his head inside, only to emerge with large ringlets growing from his nose. Kuronue chuckled and had to duck as the fox demon tried to behead him with his sharp claws. The flap of the tent lifted again, and both demons stopped their fighting in the shaman's presence.

"Youko Kurama, I have told you countless times that I would do that if you intruded on me." Hyoga waved his hand lazily in front of Kurama's face, and instantly the ringlets vanished. The shaman turned to Kuronue, who immediately snapped to attention, trying to appear as though he was a much more respectable demon that his companion. "And you, I have something already prepared for you if you don't heed me." Hyoga darkened his voice and pulled a strange looking object from inside his cloak, which he waved threateningly. "This doesn't fit nicely where it's intended to go."

Kuronue looked positively terrified at the thought of where the object could go and lowered his gaze to the ground. Hyoga was one of the strangest demons he'd ever met, and his mysterious voice still sent shivers down his spine. The sorcerer insisted on dressing in a solid purple robe, whatever the weather, and always wore a necklace of fangs. His clothing was adorned with different bones, all the same pearly white, and his eyes were edged in a mysterious paint he claimed made the dead able to see him.

"We came to hear if you've discovered anything new," Kurama spoke up quickly to spare his friend the embarrassment of finding out what the object did. He saw Hyoga's eyes light up, and the demon quickly beckoned them inside his tent. Kuronue followed Kurama and the sorcerer hesitantly into the weirdest dwelling he could remember. All around hung bones and shells for fortune telling. Different colored powders sat in bowls around a fire, which burned constantly. Kuronue reached out to feel a string of shells hanging near the door, but Kurama growled at him not to touch and seated himself by the fire.

"I have been speaking with the spirits," Hyoga began mysteriously. "They have told me many things about our world." Kurama's tail twitched excitedly and he shifted to get a better look at the old demon. Hyoga, noticing he'd entranced his audience, hastened to continue. "They speak of a rift between our world and the world beyond; the Living World."

"The Living World?" Kuronue interrupted, and his friend stomped on his foot to silence him.

"Yes. They say demons strong of will and determination shall be able to find this rift, and use it to enter the other world." Hyoga took a fistful of bluish powder from the bowl on his right and tossed it into the flames. The fire flared, changed to a deep navy by the mysterious powder. Kurama thought he could see images in the flames, though they shifted each time he tried to get a better look.

"How do demons find this rift?" Kuronue asked excitedly, and Kurama felt his friend had asked the first reasonable question of the day. Hyoga looked from demon to demon, taking them in turn in his mysterious gaze. Kuronue felt the shaman's eyes upon him and tried to return the stare, though he couldn't keep from blinking in the prolonged time and looked away. Kurama made eye contact with the demon and didn't break it until Hyoga looked back into the flames.

"Go to the place where the sun and earth combine. It is there that you will find this portal." Hyoga gave the demons one final glance before holding his hand over the fire, which returned to its original size and color. Kuronue had a far away look in his eyes, trying to envision a place where the sun and earth combined. His fox demon friend watched the fire dancing in the dark tent, his thoughts flowing freely with the flames. The fox demon had heard many tales from the old shaman, but this was the strangest yet. "How could the sun and earth combine?" he wondered to himself.

"Have I told you two something interesting?" Hyoga asked when neither demon said anything. He saw Kurama suddenly snap back to reality and the fox demon nodded, a smile forming on his lips.

"You've given us quite something to think about. Come on Kuronue." Kurama stood up and nudged his friend with his foot, who immediately rose and bowed to the demon. The fox gave Hyoga a final nod before exiting the tent, Kuronue in his wake.

"Will they have what it takes to find the rift?" Hyoga muttered to himself and dropped a pocketful of stones onto the ground, making careful note of how they landed. Kneeling to read the markings, he gasped and collected the rocks back into his robe with a sweep of his hand.

* * *

"So, are we going to see about that rift Hyoga mentioned?" Kuronue asked. He had watched Kurama fly around in circles for the past half-hour, lost in thought. Personally, Kuronue didn't think anything they'd been told would inspire such deep thought in his friend, though it was obvious from the expression on his face that the fox was thinking hard about what Hyoga had said. He watched, slightly annoyed, as his friend continued to float, ignoring him as though he'd never spoken. "Kurama? Are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here," Kurama snapped, and he landed on the ground next to his companion. "If you would do some thinking we just might be able to find this rift before next year."

Kuronue was taken aback by his friend's devotion and blinked for a few moments before being able to answer in a mild voice, "Okay, okay, don't freak out. What if we just did what Hyoga said and go to the place where the sun and earth combine?"

"And would you mind telling me where that is?" Kurama growled in the same tone that he used when addressing victims. "As you can plainly see, the sun is in the sky and we are standing on the ground. Now, if those two can combine, it would be most helpful if you could tell me where." The fox demon turned his back on his friend with a snarl. Kuronue could be worthless at times. He heard his friend rise and take a step toward him, but a growl rumbled in his chest and Kuronue stopped.

The setting sun was shot red like fresh blood, and it cast ill-proportioned shadows of the two demons in their heated argument. Kurama glanced down at his own shadow and nearly hit himself for being so stupid. "That's it!" He knelt down and ran his hand along the crouching shadow on the ground. "Where the sun and earth combine…it's the sunset!"

The light around them began to brighten until Kurama couldn't see Kuronue or his shadow, which had shrank until it was nearly non-existent. Blinking in the glare, he felt for the ground, but his hand groped air and he overbalanced in shock. Instead of hitting hard on the dirt, however, Kurama did a somersault and returned to an upright position. Shaking, he called for his friend, hoping Kuronue would answer from his side. There was no answering yell and the fox was actually beginning to feel scared when he felt the ground with his foot. Collapsing on the ground, Kurama tried to get a grip on himself, though the constant light was beginning to make him nervous, and it didn't help him to think. Just as he was cursing its existence, the light vanished, and Kurama found himself on the ground surrounded by grass.

"What just happened?" Kurama took a look around as his eyes adjusted to the sudden decrease in light. It was completely silent and he couldn't see anyone around. "Kuronue?" The fox pushed himself to his feet and stood to get his bearings. Where was Kuronue? He'd been right beside him when everything began to happen.

"This doesn't look like any region I've ever been in before," Kurama mumbled to himself. He took another quick glance around and was nearly hit in the head by a large volleyball. Ducking by only the quickest demon reflexes, the demon picked up the new object and turned it over in his hands. "Strange. What kind of creature is this?" He poked the ball and squeezed it between his palms, surprised by the sturdiness of the thing he had found.

"Hey, pass it here! Hey!" Kurama snapped to attention and saw two humans running toward him, both dressed in identical outfits. As they drew closer, he could just make out the words "Sarayashiki Jr. High Volleyball" embroidered on monograms on their shirts.

"Thanks for catching that," the nearest person said. Kurama just stared at him for a moment before understanding the guy was talking about the ball, which he quickly tossed to them. The two kids were gawking at something slightly above his head so they missed the ball entirely; it bounced off their legs and rolled a few yards before coming to a stop against a tree. "Are those real?" the other boy asked, and Kurama squirmed uncomfortably when he realized they were gazing at his ears.

"Uh…"

"Dude, that's so cool! Where'd you get them?" The two teens took a step toward Youko, who instinctively took one back. "Come on, they look totally rad. You've got to tell us!" One of the boys was close enough, and when Youko turned his attention to his partner, reached up and gave one of his fox ears a sharp tug.

"Ouch, you little urchin!" Youko snarled at the kid, exposing his sharp fangs. Both boys froze as the fox demon waved his claws in front of their eyes with a growl. "Get away from me before I kill you both for your ignorance!" The kids fled, stumbling in their haste. One looked back and Youko gave him a snarl for good measure.

"Insolent fools," Youko smirked. The satisfied smile slid from his face when it finally clicked what had happened. "They were human…" But humans couldn't enter Demon World. Youko took another look around and his heart skipped. He was in the human world!

_(That's Yusuke and Kuwabara's school :D )_


	2. Fox in the City

Chapter 2: Fox in the City

Kurama's mirth evaporated and was replaced by panic. He was in the Living World! Taking a few breaths, he tried to think, but everything swirled around him in a whirl and he was left more confused than when he'd started. The same thought drifted back; where was Kuronue? Kurama was sure he'd been beside him when he fell. "Maybe it's a one demon deal," the fox thought dismally. If that were the case, Kuronue would be back in Demon World, probably panicking just like he was. "Okay, I'm in Living World, Kuronue's in Demon World, and as far as I know I'm trapped. This is great."

Kurama shook his head and took another, more meaningful look at his surroundings. If he were to return to the Makai, he would have to be here to do it. There were trees to the north and east as far as he could see. To the west lie—the demon raised an eyebrow—a large structure that humans were crawling all over. Next to it were a few benches and a fenced in area that contained animals. Kurama knew then that he wouldn't go hungry in this world. To the south was grass and a large sand pit with a net stretched over it. Taking a closer look, the fox recognized several more humans playing with the ball he'd found earlier, hitting it back and forth over the net.

"Now that I've got some idea of this place it wouldn't hurt to look around."

He didn't want any more encounters with humans like the previous one and decided to stay off the ground, moving silently through the trees instead. Leaping from tree to tree he worked his way northwest, sticking to the higher branches so no one could see him from below. As the animal enclosure and benches drew closer, he slowed his speed so the animals wouldn't panic and alert the humans of his position. Kurama found an overhanging branch that would provide decent shelter and seated himself on it to observe the humans. From what he could tell, children were swarming the structure he'd seen earlier (which had turned out not to be solid, but made of many boards attached far enough apart so the children could climb on them). Older humans watched from the seats, which were almost directly below him, and occasionally an old human would wander out and grab a smaller human child and lead them away.

"What is this?"

Casting his gaze around, Kurama saw a sign stuck into the ground by the animals and shifted so he could read it. "North Tokyo Park and Petting Zoo. Please don't feed the animals." So this place was a "petting zoo". For a moment the demon wondered humorously if it was the creatures in the enclosure or the humans that he wasn't allowed to feed. "Kuronue will think I'm crazy when I tell him. Maybe we can make our own 'petting zoo'." Kurama snickered as he envisioned his friend driving a bunch of weak demons into a cage and poking them through the bars with a stick.

"Hey, move along, the park closed fifteen minutes ago! You can come back tomorrow!"

The fox jerked to attention as a human voice, dangerously close to his hiding place, yelled at the other humans down below. Looking down through the green foliage, he could see a human female herding the children off the wooden structure and telling them, as far as he could guess, that they should leave. There were groans and cries from the children, but the female was firm and continued to inform them they could come back the next day.

"Who made her boss?" the fox demon growled, briefly entertaining the idea of dropping in and telling her point blank that he was watching the humans and that they could stay as long as they wanted. He decided it wasn't worth giving away his position and instead he continued to observe as she forced them away, more aware than he cared to be of the fact that she was young and pretty.

"Okay, that's all of them," the girl sighed. "They always want to stay late, but park rules are park rules." She tucked a whistle back inside her sports jersey and flipped her hair over her shoulder before following the other humans from the area. Kurama watched her go for a little longer than he intended before pinching himself and returning to reality.

"More importantly, what am I going to do for the night?" the fox muttered to himself, taking a hasty glance at the quickly setting sun, already nearly invisible behind the trees. It was growing dark and cold a lot faster than it did in the Makai. "I've got to find some food," he groaned as his stomach gave a hungry rumble.

Dropping from the tree to the grass below, Kurama put his senses to work, hoping there was an abundance of wild animals in the area. Those in the enclosure had been taken away, much to his disappointment, and he knew trying to ambush passerby wouldn't help much either. His fox nose picked up the scent of rabbit, and he took off after it, forgetting all discretion and hunting skills in his hopes to catch something. The animal heard him coming from about 20 feet off and fled, darting around bushes and clumps of grass. It found its hole and dove inside, leaving the very disgruntled demon to sniff and search around for any traces left behind.

"This is stupid!" Youko snarled, growling a few other curses as well. He hit his head against a tree in disgust. "Stupid animal, I didn't want to eat you anyway!" The fox's stomach betrayed him as it rumbled again, and he flopped down alongside the park path. It was nearly dark by then, the only light from the moon rising in the east. Almost the only light. As if on cue, all the lamps along the path flickered to life, exposing Kurama and nearly scaring him to death.

"How do humans stand this?" the demon grumbled from the safety of the tree he'd jumped into when the lights flashed to life. He settled against the trunk and closed his eyes, allowing the day's events to fully play out in his mind. He paused the memory when he first saw his shadow, back in Demon World. Kuronue had been at his side, he remembered seeing him when he knelt down. "You should be here right now Kuronue. That way we could terrorize the humans together."

Kurama smirked at the thought of his friend chasing humans in circles and soon fell asleep, the smile still visible on his lips.

* * *

Something awoke the nervous fox just before dawn. Looking out over the park, he saw something he hadn't noticed the night before. A road ran along the southern border of the grassy field, and out on the road were—Kurama gasped and had to grab onto the branch below him—large metal cages of different sizes and shapes roaring along, abiding to no form of laws. These "cages" made such a racket the fox had to plug his ears and search out a different hiding place. Taking to the air, he flew over the road and beyond it into (he was unaware of this at the time, of course) central Tokyo. Large buildings rose up on both sides of him, and Kurama immediately knew he'd made a mistake.

"Where the heck am I now?" he asked nothing in particular. He hovered for a moment to watch the activity below. People bustled back and forth, unaware of anyone but themselves as they hurried to work. Cars were backed up everywhere, honking mercilessly, and the combined noise was almost deafening for a fox's sensitive ears. "I've got to get out of here." He continued over the city for a few minutes longer until the noise died down and he could hear himself think again.

"I change my mind; the Living World's not exciting after all."

Kurama landed gracefully on top of a three-story apartment building and returned to people watching. It seemed to be mostly younger humans on the streets in this part of town, and he recognized the same uniforms on them as the kids he'd scared the previous day. Taking a closer look at the sidewalk, Kurama's heart skipped as he recognized the girl from the previous day as well. She looked different in a uniform, and he would have missed her completely if not for her long red hair.

"What's she doing in a terrible place like this?"

What was he doing in a terrible place like this? Kurama watched as she was joined by two boys and started to walk faster to lose them. One of the boys stepped in front of her and caught her shoulders, and the fox realized with a sinking feeling in his gut that they weren't intending to keep her company. The other boy tugged her bag from her shoulder and began to rummage through it, dropping the contents on the ground. Though she fought bravely, the girl was no match for brute masculine strength and only succeeded in tiring herself. Disgusted, Kurama growled as he watched the boys triumphantly remove a smaller handbag and take off running in the opposite direction.

"I'm the only thief in this city," the demon growled with a trace of pride, and he dropped to a balcony on the second floor of the building, waiting for the kids to run underneath him. Just before they passed beneath the balcony, he leapt in front of them, and the foremost kid slammed into him.

"Get out of the way," the boy snapped as he shoved Kurama and tried to run by him. The other teen had frozen, watching and hoping his friend wouldn't notice if he ran off. With his leg Kurama tripped the kid as he hurried past and allowed him to slide a ways down the sidewalk before picking up the handbag in one hand and the kid by his collar in the other.

"Picking on other men is one thing," Kurama snarled, his face inches from his victim's, "but when you sink low enough to start roughing up women it's a completely different matter." A fair display of fangs followed this statement. Kurama could the blind fear in the boy's face and dropped him on the sidewalk. The delinquent scrambled to his feet and took off, not even waiting for his accomplice, who hurried after his without even a backward glance. "Worthless human fools."

The girl had gathered her belongings and was trying to replace them in her bag, which was beginning to split at its seams, when Kurama stepped up behind her. She saw his shadow on the walk and jumped around to face him. "Thank you," she said with a small bow, then noticed the appearance of the man standing before her and gasped, dropping her school bag in surprise. "Are those real," she pointed at his ears, "or are they just for show?"

Kurama groaned inwardly, once again having his ears be the first thing anyone noticed of him. He was growing sick of people always making a big deal of them; they didn't look that strange. In the Demon World, lots of demons had ears or other animal parts. "You're not in the Demon World," he reminded himself, "just trapped in a realm of complete idiots." Kurama felt a tug on one of his ears and snarled as he grabbed her hand and twisted it at her side, his claws digging into her flesh.

"Ouch, let go!" The girl tried to act tough despite the pressure the demon had on her wrist and returned his glare with equal fire. Her attitude caught the fox demon off guard, and he released her hand. "You are a demon then."

"Yes I am a demon then," Kurama mimicked before realizing he'd just given himself away and mentally kicked himself for being so stupid. He saw the girl's eyes widen and really did kick himself. Catching her by the hair the fox pulled her close and addressed in a sinister voice, "If you know what's good for you you'll keep your mouth shut. Most humans I've seen have a real problem with that, and I can make it much easier for you." He flicked his claws across her eyes to see if she'd flinch. When she didn't, he let her go and growled in his famous way. She turned and hurried off, though not without stopping at the corner to glare at him, to which he returned with a dark snarl.

"Sassy wench," Kurama growled at her retreating form.

He took to the sky and flew from the city limits back into the country to the park he'd been in the previous night. Seating himself in the same tree, he continued to watching the human children, though without the usual interest or attention. This was where he'd seen her the night before, wasn't it? The fox shook her from his head with a curse. That human had the audacity to talk to him like that! "She's lucky I let her go," he growled. But the look of determination in her eyes nagged at him long after he'd grown bored with watching the humans.

* * *

Hunger drove the irate fox demon from his tree about an hour later. Kurama judged it to be about noon and the park was deserted. "Everyone else probably has something to eat," he complained audibly before dropping to the ground and sniffing around for animals. This time he kept his head and was able to easily pin down and kill a wild rabbit. He tore into it hungrily, oblivious of everything around him as he ate for the first time since arriving in the Living World.

"That sure wasn't much. I wonder what other kinds of things are around here," the demon murmured to himself. Youko tossed the rabbit carcass into a bush and stood up, allowing his sensitive nose to sample the air. There was something coming toward him, but it sure wasn't an animal. The scent was human…a familiar human. Youko groaned as he recognized the girl's scent. What was she doing there? "Probably wanting to eat outside," he groaned again and cursed his luck. If she found him she wouldn't ever leave. Kurama scrambled back into his tree and watched as she sat down on one of the benches and opened a lunchbox. The smell of turkey flittered up to his perch, and he fought his hunger by scratching into the tree trunk.

"She's doing this on purpose," he growled when his will shattered by the scent of meat. Deciding it was worth giving away his position for some food, Kurama dropped to the grass with a soft thump and leapt silently onto the other end of the bench. She looked up and saw him kneeling on the arm of the bench, smiled, and continued to eat without regarding him. After a few frustrating moments of sitting and watching, she finally spoke.

"So, this is where you've been hiding, is it? Not a bad place." She smiled at him again, and Kurama, instead of scowling as he had been, felt himself start to smile back, though he caught himself before she noticed.

"What was that?" he thought puzzledly. "I almost…" He shuddered at the thought of what would have happened had she seen him smile and shook the thought from his mind. "I saw you here yesterday," he remarked; it was truly the only thing he could think of.

"I work here after school," she answered. "So you don't have to guess, my name's Akiko. You're a kitsune, aren't you?"

For a moment the fox just blinked at her. Kitsune? He remembered something Hyoga had once told him about shape-shifting foxes and shook his head. "I suppose you could say that, but I can't transform," he told her regretfully. "I'm a Yoko. Kurama." He dropped his gaze to the ground as she looked him over.

"I guess so. What are you doing in Tokyo?"

"Tokyo?" Kurama asked blankly. Where was that? He realized he must look pretty clueless at the moment and tried to make it look as though he was just asking a random question, but Akiko knew he was completely confused.

"That's the city you were in earlier. Tokyo, the capitol of Japan." She picked up a stick and drew a sketch of the four main Japanese islands in the dirt, marking Tokyo with a dot, but her attempts went right through the demon's head and out the other side. "Where did you come from if you don't know about Tokyo," Akiko asked, and Kurama swallowed. How could he explain the rift and Demon World?

"It's kind of a strange story. Demons like myself live in a different--" he stopped. He couldn't tell this human about the Makai. "Damn," he cursed silently, and instead glowered at the human who sat beside him. "Why do you want to know anyway?"

"Do you see many demons around here?" she asked, slightly irritated. "Shouldn't I be curious about something I don't see everyday?" She closed her lunchbox with a snap and stood up. "I was going to offer to show you around. That is, if you don't mind a human doing it."

Kurama could only stare for a moment until he regained enough composure to think straight. Man, she was almost demon-like with that temper. "I guess learning my way around wouldn't hurt, at least until I can get back," he agreed, as much as it irked him to admit a human was right. Feeling defeated, Kurama stood up and Akiko beamed at him. "This is nothing more than you showing me the city," he reminded her, but she was already on her way down the path, and Kurama had to jog to catch up. This human had a lot more fire in her than he thought.

They crossed the park in a matter of minutes, Akiko pointing out the different statues and landmarks around them. For the most part Kurama was able to follow what she said, though his main thoughts were on the contents of her lunchbox, which still contained food. He was just beginning to plan his first bit of thieving in the human world when they came up on a road and the thought was completely driven from his mind by the sight of cars.

"What are those things?" he asked, not caring how stupid the question sounded. They didn't appear dangerous, but Kurama had grown up in a world of demons, and even the most harmless looking things usually had sharp claws or fangs somewhere.

"Those are cars," Akiko told him. "That's how humans travel around." She took him by the arm and led him across the street in what she explained as a "crosswalk", and they watched from the other side as the cars roared to life when the traffic light changed. Kurama shuddered but kept his ground, anchored more by curiosity than courage.

"There's something else we should do," Akiko told him, and the fox immediately figured from past experiences that it wouldn't be any fun for him. She rummaged in her bag for a minute and pulled out a strange looking hat, which she clapped on his head without a word.

"What is this?" Kurama growled, and he tore the hat from his head to look at it. Turning it around in his hands, he saw lots of small symbols and designs of things he couldn't identify, though some looked considerably like animals he'd hunted in the past.

"That's a baseball cap. You need to wear it to cover your ears. I guess we'll just have to live with the tail." Akiko took the cap from his grasp and placed it again on top of his head and tucked his ears underneath it. "It's not that bad, really."

"I can't hear worth crap," Kurama snapped, but he had to agree it wasn't as bad as he originally thought. The brim of the hat shaded his eyes from the light, plus helped shadow his demon features. He realized then how out of place he must have looked standing on that street corner. Glancing at Akiko made him feel especially awkward. She was wearing a green skirt and matching long-sleeved shirt, both perfectly creased and ironed. Kurama looked down at himself and shook his head. "I must look like some kind of spirit or something," he chuckled to himself. Not many humans he'd seen dressed in all white.

Akiko watched the expression of the demon next to her with mild amusement. "He looks so confused and bewildered," she thought. "Sort of like when I first moved here." She chuckled as Kurama compared himself to the humans on the other side of the street and spoke up quickly, "I have clothes back home I can lend you so you don't feel so out of place."

"I wasn't asking for any," Kurama grumbled, still looking at his clothing in distaste. A small shimmer of relief flicked through him as a group of about four teenagers walked past him with out a second glance, all dressed in clothes stranger than his with their hair dyed wild colors.

"You're not the strangest one here, see?" Akiko chuckled, but she frowned when he flicked his tail at her irately. "We have to do something about that tail."

"Like what?" the fox askedd, clutching his tail protectively in his hand.

"I'll cut it off," Akiko joked, "and donate it to the museum for their animal collection." She gestured playfully at his tail as though she had scissors and was going to snip it off there and then.

"No you don't." Kurama bared his fangs and stalked off up the street. He was about to continue down the block when he noticed a pair of girls, not much older than Akiko, watching him from across the road. One was short, probably only about 5'5, and looked, in the demon's opinion at least, considerably like a mouse. He glanced as the other girl and felt his jaw drop. She was the exact opposite of her companion and twice as pretty. Her skirt extended only partway down her thighs and her shirt wasn't as loose as Akiko's across the chest. She flipped her black hair over her shoulder in a way that made Kurama drool.

"That's Rena," Akiko spoke up from behind him. "She's the most popular girl in our year. A bit of a showoff if you ask me."

"I didn't ask," the silver-haired demon said absentmindedly, still watching Rena and her friend continue down the street.

"Hello, are you there? That's Rena's power; every man who sees her falls under her control."

Kurama jumped and tore his eyes away from Rena's chest. Akiko was staring at him with a very knowing look on her face, and he made a point of avoiding eye contact with her until they had continued on to another intersection. "Here's an idea; I can take you down to the City Center Mall. That's the best place for a person new to Tokyo to go."

* * *

City Center Mall was not a good place to take newcomers and especially not a demon from another world. From the moment Kurama stepped inside he knew it would be by an amazing stroke of luck if he made it out alive. There were more humans inside than he'd seen in the past two days, and every one of them seemed to be going a different direction, not bothering to take a second glance at him. Akiko had convinced him it looked too strange and he had stuffed his tail inside his pants, where it tickled the back of his legs disturbingly.

"And you brought me here because..?" the fox asked, watching the people press into an elevator with a renewed curiosity. It was when Akiko began to lead him toward the elevator that the enthusiasm died. "There is no way I am going into that thing."

"One, it's called an elevator. Two, you will go in it, if for no other reason than to say you did." Akiko pushed him through the closing doors and into the elevator with dozens of other humans. They lingered by the doors, mostly because it was stuffy, but also for Kurama's benefit, who was looking at the surrounding humans with a sense of foreboding. "Don't be so nervous. There's nothing here that's going to do anything."

Forcing himself not to look nervous, Kurama took to watching the person next to him, who was listening to a CD player and paid no attention to the demon beside him. A pair of black cords hung from his earphones and trailed into the man's pant pocket. These cords entranced Kurama and he tugged one inquisitively. The earpiece popped from the man's ear and fell to the floor.

"What did you do that for?" he asked angrily and pulled his CD player from his pocket to reattach the cord. Glaring at the fox demon, he pressed the earphone back into his ear and tuned him out. Kurama glared back and growled darkly, revealing his fox fangs. The man dropped his CD player and screamed. "What are you?"

By now most of the elevator was watching the pair, and Akiko shook her head despairingly. The opening of the doors saved them, and she shoved Kurama out before anyone could say anything.

"That was real smart. Attract attention to yourself in a big place like this." She closed her eyes and prayed for patience as her companion ignored her to watch people walk by. "Listen, as hard as it is for you, try to act normal."

"Normal for a demon or a human," Kurama thought sourly. A department store window attracted his attention and a sly grin began to play over his features. There were some pretty valuable looking things in that window display. Akiko must have caught on, because she steered him forcefully in the opposite direction. Bustling through the crowds of people, the eccentric pair caught little attention as they made their way to the food court. The smells of different fried foods overwhelmed Kurama's sensitive nose, and he coughed and gagged.

"This place stinks," he commented disgustedly as a pair walked past them carrying a tray of hamburgers and fries. All around him were tables and chairs, most occupied by groups of people chatting excitedly. Restaurants created a semicircle around the tables, ending the hallway. Different colored tiles covered the floor, which was reflecting the ceiling lights.

"If you feel so strongly about it, you can wait here and I'll get some food," Akiko told him, pointing to a chair just outside the food area.

Kurama flopped heavily into the chair, the smell of food still lingering in his nose. He watched Akiko until she merged with the line waiting for one of the restaurants, and then turned his attention elsewhere. There were a few shops, the occasional pay phone, and….the fox sat up a little straighter and tried to look dignified as Rena and her friend pressed through the crowd toward him. She was staring right at him, he realized suddenly, and his heart did a small flip.

"Hi there," Rena greeted him pleasantly. Her voice was soft, like silk, but there was a commanding ring to it Kurama could only relate to that of a demon. "I saw you earlier but didn't get the chance to say hello. Are you new around here?"

The fox wanted to answer, but something stuck in his throat and he could only nod blandly. Rena smiled, and the fox demon felt his tail twitch even though he was sitting on it.

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with us. I'm Rena, by the way, and this is Kazumi." Rena gestured to her friend, who smiled timidly. Kurama glanced at her briefly before turning back to Rena, who was awaiting his response.

"Sure," he answered without thinking, and Rena pulled him from the chair and the threesome made their way back toward the elevator. It was then that Kurama remembered Akiko, but he couldn't do anything about her now. "She'll probably be mad for ditching her, but I might not ever see her again if this works out," the demon thought to himself. He stole a glance at Rena, who was walking a pace in front of him and again felt that twinge of nerves he got whenever she spoke to him. It was too weird that he felt this way about a mere human woman.

Kurama tagged along with Rena the remainder of the afternoon, paying little attention to anything other than her. Kazumi had left them, and the fox demon felt a shiver of nerves at the prospect of being alone with Rena, who hadn't hinted any interest in him other than wanting to be friendly. This part annoyed him, for he was sure it was an act to test him; he was already on the end of his discipline from resisting the urge to gape openly at her. When Rena had taken him into a part of the city he hadn't seen before, Kurama began to feel a little nervous.

"Where are we?" he asked, hoping his face didn't portray any of his worries.

Rena turned to him, and he saw plainly the desiring look in her eyes. He swallowed to calm himself as a scary prospect loomed in his mind. She had wanted to get him alone. Kurama growled at himself for being so stupid and for the first time wanted to get away, to be back in Akiko's company, someone he knew he could trust.

Rena took a step toward Kurama, working all the charm she'd acquired with men before him. As much as he hated to admit it, the fox demon didn't want Rena to leave him alone. He'd watched her all day with this on his mind, and now he had his chance. His senses of righteousness and desire battled within his mind in a way he hadn't ever felt before.

Rena was nearly upon him now, and it was that sudden realization that jarred the demon painfully from his thoughts with his mind made up. She draped her arms around his neck, and Kurama had to smile at her confidence and determination. Even though he had been expecting it, he still jumped when she kissed him and his mind reeled. Something compelled him to return her affection, though a voice in his head told him it would be foolish. He felt her passion and desire surge through him like fire. Taking sharp breaths every few seconds as their lips parted, the pair shared the sunset.

_Sure, Youko wouldn't fall for a human like that, but…. It's a story, what can I say? See, I promised it would be better. Or not, maybe I have the totally wrong idea for this and Youko's completely out of character (he is, but there's not much I can do about that). If you're at least mildly interested to see what happens with Rena read the next chapter. Then you can leave and do whatever._


	3. Kurama's Decision

Chapter 3: Kurama's Decision

Kurama couldn't remember how he got back to the park that night. He was vaguely aware of settling in the tree that had become his customary spot just as the last traces of the sun vanished from the sky. He was strangely elated and couldn't keep his mind from drifting. He'd kissed her. It had been in no way brief either. Kurama shuddered. Her soft lips, so warm against his own… That was the last thought to float through his head before he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The fox demon was walking through the streets, chasing a girl he could barely see in the huge crowds of people. Occasionally she would stop and wait for him, starting to walk again just when he thought he'd caught her. He ran up and caught the girl's arm, pulled her around, and saw Rena's familiar sultry gaze. He swept her into his arms and kissed her in the middle of the street, uncaring of the people bustling on either side of him. She pulled away from him and Kurama stared instead into Akiko's glaring eyes. She shoved him backward before vanishing into the crowd. 

He started after her, but a bright light around him changed the scene to a desert wasteland. A lone figure stood in the distance and Kurama hurried to him. Kuronue's familiar aura enveloped him as his friend turned, startling the fox with his malevolent glare. Behind him, he saw Rena and Akiko glaring as well.

* * *

The fox demon awoke with a start. Bright sunlight temporarily blinded him as Kurama sat up. What had that dream been about? The memory of Kuronue's hateful look tore at his mind as he hunted his breakfast. He was so enveloped in his thoughts he didn't notice the scent of human until it was upon him. 

"You!"

Kurama looked up and saw Akiko stomping toward him. Her face looked just like in his dream; angry and murderous.

"You! Where do you get off in ditching me?" She was close enough that the fox demon began to worry for his health and stood up. "I was just trying to help you get it straight in the city, and that's how you repay me?" Akiko mustered all her wrath into a death glare.

"I…" He didn't know how to explain he'd run off with Rena and her friend. Kurama stared at the ground, a surprising feeling of guilt washing over him. He'd been too weak to resist his own longing and had run off with a girl, he wanted to yell, but he kept his tongue and continued to observe a bug crawling toward him.

"So, that's what you have to say is it?" Akiko glowered at him, her eyes narrowed at his attempted apology. Kurama remained silent. "A nice way to show your gratitude." She turned to go, but not before slapping him hard across the face. The demon sputtered and found his voice for the first time.

"You little…that's not how it went!" Kurama grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. The look in her eyes startled him. She wasn't scared of him, or even angry. "Listen. I didn't mean to leave you like that. It's just…" he broke off, then decided he had to continue. "Rena made me an offer I couldn't refuse." His gaze dropped to the ground. Man he was staring at it a lot! Akiko pulled out of his grasp and took a step back.

"What exactly did she want?" Akiko asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. The guilty look in Kurama's eyes told her everything she needed to know. "I thought demons were stronger than humans," she muttered angrily. "If that's all the self control you have, I hate to see what you'd be like if she really made you an offer." Akiko stormed away, shooting dark glares back over her shoulder at the fox, who slumped on the bench beside him.

"Damn," he complained to himself. She was right, he was weak. Strong with swords but weak against people. Kurama cursed again as he thought of what Kuronue would have said in Akiko's place. "I'm never falling for her tricks again," the fox vowed silently, shaking any thoughts of Rena from his mind. "Not again."

* * *

Kurama spent the rest of the day drifting in and out of awareness. When he thought back to it, he vaguely remembered Akiko returning to the park that evening, ignoring him as she continued her usual duties. He didn't really pay any attention to her, the memory of her angry face still fresh in his mind. Maybe it had been his fault. He knew himself it was, but the thought of apologizing to Akiko after she'd yelled at him was appalling. 

Night set in the same as it did every other day. He'd been in the human world for two days now. Kurama wondered what Kuronue had done when he found out his companion was gone. He might have gone back to Hyoga for advice, or tried to follow him. The demon sighed and tried not to think about Kuronue or the demon world. It was likely that he'd never see either of them again.

A bird chirped in the distance and Kurama lifted his head. He recognized a scent, drifting in the wind toward him. The fox cursed as he recognized Rena's familiar perfume. What did that vixen want? She'd gotten him into enough trouble as it was. She approached, and he began to feel his annoyance at her presence start to diminish. Her scent was so alluring… Damn he was falling for her again! Kurama watched through the tree branches as she stopped and sat on the bench, carrying herself in a way as though she knew someone was watching.

"That little…" Kurama growled to himself, but he couldn't say anything else for fear he would be overheard. He inhaled and breathed in her sweet scent. Man she was beautiful! The fox felt it more and more difficult to control his breathing, which was beginning to shorten. He noticed his heart start to speed up and tore his eyes away, instead focusing on a bird in the distance, though he allowed his sensitive nose to continue following her scent. Kurama cursed again. This self-control would kill him.

After plugging his nose and ears Kurama waited, trying to focus on that bird in the next tree. He couldn't smell Rena and could only hear if he strained. It amazed him how much calmer he was without the distractions of his other senses. The demon chanced a look down and was surprised to find Rena gone. Startled, he tuned in his senses and immediately relocated her scent. It smelled like she was…

"Hi!"

Kurama almost fell out of the tree. Glancing down, he saw Rena looking up at him, a look of mixed confusion and amusement in her eyes. His gaze dropped a little lower and he felt his jaw drop. He could see down her shirt…Kurama did fall out of the tree.

Saved by his demon reflexes, the startled fox demon landed in front of Rena on his feet. She giggled at his clumsy movements and he brushed himself off as though he'd done an ordinary thing. He flicked his bangs from his eyes and felt a trace of panic as he remembered his ears and tail were showing. Rena didn't notice, or didn't care, and she motioned to sit down on the bench. Not sure what to do, Kurama followed, aware that it was fairly late and that Akiko had already made her rounds, meaning there wasn't supposed to be anyone else in the park. Rena seemed to know this herself and had a self-satisfied smirk that reflected it.

"They weren't going to let me in," she began, "but I'm smarter than some park ranger." Rena slid along the bench until she was next to Kurama. "Even Akiko tried to stop me."

For once the fox didn't know what to say and tried not to notice Rena's hand on his arm. She had to be here for something. Kurama's opinion was that she had just wanted to see him again. But maybe… His heart skipped as another idea entered his head, though it was much more appealing. Something Akiko said drifted back through his mind: "I hate to see what you'd be like if she really made you an offer." He couldn't…not with her…she was human… But despite his noble thoughts that feeling of longing was tearing at him again.

"You know," Rena whispered, "we're the only ones here."

Kurama was already aware of that and wasn't sure if he should be happy or not about it. He knew in the back of his mind that he had to get away from her or he'd fall apart. "Rena," he began, then sighed heavily, "I can't do this."

"What do you mean?" she asked hurriedly. Was he refusing her? No, that couldn't be it, no man could resist her. "What's wrong?"

The demon stood up, and Rena jumped to her feet. The fox demon held his hands up to forestall her approach. "Rena, last night was a mistake. I can't be with you. Just leave me alone. Please," he added. He couldn't believe he was doing this.

Rena just gaped at him for a moment, not sure she heard properly. He couldn't mean that. It was probably just a trick. Yes, that's what it was. Rena took a couple steps toward him and snuck past his hands to kiss him. Kurama went tense and his mind went blank like it did before. But this time, a single thought remained, swirling around in his brain until he couldn't bear it and pulled away.

"I told you Rena," he insisted, pushing her away, "I can't be with you."

She stared blankly at him for a few moments in which Kurama prayed before turning on her heel and storming away from him. She'd give him the night. By morning he'd be begging to have her back. The fox demon breathed a sigh of relief when Rena was far enough away that she wouldn't hear. His discipline had been running thin.

"That was a very noble thing you just did," Akiko spoke up from behind him. She chuckled as Kurama spun around, startled that someone could slip by his senses. "I followed Rena after I saw her sneak in here."

For a second the fox wanted to yell at her, curse her for spying on him, but at the moment none of those malevolent thoughts took form. He was somehow happy to see her, and even more so not angry. She looked forgiving.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow Kurama."

There was an awkward pause as Akiko and Kurama gazed at each other. He thought there was something like a mutual agreement between them not to mention the incident. Turning to go, Akiko waved over her shoulder and started down the path. The demon watched until she was lost in the darkness, which he suddenly became aware of. He'd had no idea it was getting so late.

"I'll see you tomorrow…Akiko."

* * *

_(is starting to realize how worthless and OOC this is) Yeah well...I guess i can't say anything in my defense..._


	4. The Red Blood Amulet

Chapter 4: The Red Blood Amulet

* * *

The next day came in a rush of noise and celebration. Kurama awoke the next morning to loud and raucous partying. Startled that people could be in the park so early, he leapt into the higher branches, remembering how easily Rena had seen him the night before. There were people all around, and the animals that were usually in the enclosure were roaming freely. The fox's sensitive nose picked up Akiko's scent on the wind and saw her weaving her way toward him. Leaning casually against the base of his tree, she muttered, "You had better stay up there for a while."

She was whispering, but Kurama could hear every word. It was scary, the amount of humans that could fit into that tiny part of the park, but there they all were. The fox was relieved not to spot Rena in the crowd; the memory of her face the previous night still sent shivers down his spine. Akiko continued to lounge against the tree as though there was nothing wrong, as though she wasn't aware that a demon lingered in the upper branches. The fox looked out over the throng and found what he thought to be the center of attention; a man in bright red pants that were too big for him and a lime, striped shirt was handing out balloons to the children. It then struck Kurama that there were more of these people, scattered amongst the crowd. A balloon floated up and he snatched it.

Something roared to life behind him and the demon spun on his branch to see what it was. A long line of cars had blocked the road in both directions and drivers were becoming angry. What was all this? Kurama couldn't think of anything that attracted this much attention in Demon World, but Living World was a lot stranger than Demon World, and had almost as many surprises. The balloon that he'd been holding tightly suddenly popped and he jumped and dropped the pieces.

The murmur of the crowd became a roar when they saw the fox demon rise from the thick tree branches. Akiko faked panic and dashed away from the tree. Kurama cursed as he looked out over the crowd, each face looking at him. A deadly silence fell over the humans and the fox weighed his options. He would have to leave and go into hiding elsewhere. It was obviously not safe in the park. That decided, he ascended until the humans below became not much more than specks and flew away toward the city. He would find an alley or something where people didn't go.

Akiko forced herself to breathe and tried not to panic. Kurama was a smart demon, he'd figure out something. There were tons of places in Tokyo that he could hide. She didn't like not knowing where he was and planned to search for him as soon as she could. Hopefully he would have enough sense not to draw attention to himself again. She could only hope.

* * *

Kurama landed on top of an apartment building to think. He'd really made a mess of that. Pulling his knees up against his chest, the fox demon watched the people down below moving around as though nothing had happened. They probably hadn't learned about the fiasco in the park yet. He wasn't sure if news traveled as fast as it did in the Makai, but he was positive that by sunrise most of the people below him would be on the lookout for a demon.

"That couldn't have gotten much worse," Kurama grumbled irritably. Well, maybe it could have been. Kuronue would have wanted to kill the humans if he'd been discovered. Kuronue… Kurama again wondered what his friend was doing. "He's probably wondering what the hell is taking me so long to get back." If that were the case, he'd probably be wondering for a very long time.

* * *

"Hyoga!"

Kuronue forced his wings to flap faster as he spotted the old shaman's tent on the horizon. Curse that old demon for moving so much! It had taken him two days to locate him after Kurama had vanished, and Kuronue was in no way a slow flier. Quickly approaching Hyoga's tent, Kuronue landed slightly harder than he intended and sprinted the rest of the way, knocking aside jars and vials in his haste.

Hyoga poked his head out the door flap of his tent and calmly began to collect his stones and shells, ignoring the demon that stood panting beside him. After an aggravating moment in which Kuronue caught his breath and Hyoga began building his fire the bat demon spoke, forcing himself to be calm.

"Where's Kurama?" he asked bluntly, deciding he wasn't going to waste time getting to the point. Hyoga didn't answer, still tending the small flames that worked his predictions. There was something about him that Kuronue hadn't seen before. His movements were more precise, more focused, as though he had planned them beforehand. Another painfully slow minute passed in which neither demon spoke.

"Your friend," Hyoga said finally, "has passed between our world and the world of humans." Hyoga stroked the fire with a stick and it flared. "I have been watching him since he left." Ever so casually his hand drifted over the fire and Kuronue thought he saw a small bit of powder fall into the flames.

"How do we get him back?" Kuronue asked forcefully.

"How do we get him back?" Hyoga echoed. "I daresay, the better question would be, can we get him back? The Living World is a strange place, as your friend has seen." Hyoga tossed a pair of shells into the flames and Kuronue gasped. It was like a movie playing in the blaze. He could see Kurama, sitting in the branches of a tree, watching people below him. A girl appeared beneath his branch and the fox dropped to the ground.

"Why didn't you show me this before?" Kuronue continued to watch, a slightly amused smile playing over his features as he watched his friend brave the elevator. It was relieving to see that Kurama was okay.

Hyoga smiled to himself and changed the scene in the fire. Kurama was standing on a rooftop overlooking the city. A different girl was beside him now, and Kuronue had to confess to himself she was gorgeous. She started moving closer to the demon, who looked nervous. Hyoga spoke just before the fox demon enjoyed his kiss on the roof.

"He's had quite a time trying to keep up with the humans and their ways," Hyoga said quietly. "But so far he's managed okay. You can go to him, if you want."

Kuronue looked at the shaman as though he'd sprouted horns. "I can…why didn't you mention this before!" Kuronue was too happy to curse his lack of information. He would go! "Send me through! Send me!"

"You are aware," Hyoga asked sharply, "that it's not likely you will be able to return?" As he spoke, Hyoga stroked the flames of his fire. "I am still unaware of how to create a portal to transport you back. It was by luck that I stumbled into a void and was able to manipulate it to send you to Human World."

"Precautions are for the weak," Kuronue answered harshly. "Kurama's in there and I'm going too!" The bat demon beat his wings impatiently and Hyoga sighed in defeat. Kuronue glared at the ground as he flexed his claws. Why didn't anyone understand? He was strong enough to do this. "Are you just going to sit there or are we going to find this void?"

Hyoga shook his head and rose to his feet. Young demons, they were so impatient! Kuronue should be grateful that his friend was alive, not out risking his own neck on a fool's attempt. Collecting a small vial of a strange liquid that looked suspiciously like blood, Hyoga beckoned for Kuronue to follow him. "You had best be discreet," Hyoga cautioned. "If demons were to find out about your and Kurama's travel the Living World would be overrun by bloodthirsty monsters."

"You don't have to tell me to be discreet," Kuronue answered with a trace of sarcasm, "it's in a thief's nature."

"As you wish," Hyoga replied, and took to the skies, flying swiftly south. Kuronue pumped his powerful wings and glided smoothly into the air, dancing like a caged animal that had just been freed. He was finally going after Kurama!

They flew for several hours, during which the skies grew increasingly darker and the terrain below them more barren and desolate. They were entering areas Kuronue had never seen before. There was no decrease in Hyoga's pace, however, and he seemed undaunted that they had journeyed far beyond Kuronue's estimate of where they should have been. In fact, the shaman seemed unaware of anything; his eyes were closed and Kuronue wasn't sure if he was even awake, or had just charmed himself to float while he slept.

Large mountains in the far distance distracted Kuronue from his marveling at Hyoga's travel means. There was a strange mist starting to swirl around them, and Kuronue could sense an overwhelming power aura hanging in the air. Hyoga opened one eye and nodded, pleased about something Kuronue could only guess, before starting his descent. Kuronue went into a dive and opened his leathery wings, making a smooth landing on the rocky ground. Hyoga alighted alongside him without a sound and immediately began to lead Kuronue up the rocky mountainside.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to fly?" Kuronue asked once it was clear they would be hiking the whole way.

"Flying would be of no use here," Hyoga retorted with a dry laugh. "You miss many things from the air that are obvious to a demon on the ground."

Kuronue himself had very poor eyesight, but he decided not to mention this and continued to trudge along the mountainside, not quite sure what he was supposed to be looking for. It seemed though that Hyoga at least had a plan, because he would often pause and examine some mark or track on the ground that Kuronue couldn't see, always leading westward. This continued for a time before Hyoga held up his hand for Kuronue to halt. The bat demon stopped, bewildered, as Hyoga scattered some shells from his cloak in the shape of an oval on the ground.

"Give me your hand," Hyoga commanded without looking up. Kuronue did as he was told and felt a slight prick on his palm as Hyoga slit it with a knife, collection the blood in a small bottle. Dropping a pair of shells that had been coated in the newly drawn blood into the center of the oval sent shivers of anticipation down Kuronue's spine. He could feel the void's vast power growing by the second.

"This is it," Hyoga whispered, his voice barely concealing his anxiety. "I can't guarantee how long I'll be able to hold it, so be quick. If it closes with you on the other side, you must try and remain out of sight. Kurama should be fairly easy to find; his demon energy is quite unique."

Kuronue nodded and watched as Hyoga used his magic to tilt the created portal upward. Beyond it Kuronue could see strange sights of buildings and a dark sky. That was the world he was going to! "Of you go then," Hyoga prompted him, and Kuronue stepped up to the gateway, his heart racing. He took another step and felt his stomach fall out. Roaring wind swirled around him, deafening him to Hyoga's last precautions. It must be working!

* * *

The sun set once again with Kurama lost in thought. The fox demon had taken refuge on top of a large building far from the city, and more importantly, far from the park he'd exposed himself in earlier. The demon's amber eyes shimmered and he shook his head forcefully. His thoughts were muddled, swirling in his head in a jumble. Kuronue's face kept resurfacing, along with Akiko's. Kurama felt, for the first time, a resistance to that once total desiring to return to his own world. Maybe he had something here after all…the fox cursed himself for even thinking such a thing.

He leaned against an air-conditioning unit mounted on the roof and curled his tail over his feet, his knees tucked tightly against his chest. What was this, this feeling? Kurama had never felt anything like it before. Could it be…he couldn't be lonely. There were too many things for him to explore here to be lonely, too many distractions. He rubbed his eyes forcefully with his arm.

A faint surge of power distracted Kurama from his thoughts. Something all too familiar about that power kept the demon's attention before he realized that he shouldn't be feeling demon energy at all. That could only mean one thing: "Kuronue's here!"

Kurama leapt up, overjoyed to finally sense his friend's energy. Jumping into the air he covered the distance back to the park in record time, tracing Kuronue's energy. It still confused him that Kuronue hadn't found how to pass through before, but he didn't dwell on it too long. Landing on the grass in a thankfully deserted area, the fox demon saw a sight that made his blood run cold.

Kuronue felt a searing pain in his chest and knew something was wrong. He tried to look back at Hyoga, but the opening that he'd just passed through wasn't visible any longer. Looking back toward his destination, an open field, Kuronue felt a sharp pain in his legs, as though he was being pulled from both directions. The wind was roaring in his ears. What was happening?

Kurama saw Kuronue held immobile in the large swirling void and tried to force his deadened legs to run to him. Kuronue's face was contorted in pain and it sickened his friend to see him in such a way. "Kuronue!" Dashing forward, Kurama grabbed his friend's hand and pulled him as hard as he could. His hand was sliding along Kuronue's sweaty palm; he didn't have the strength to pull him free.

Kuronue felt someone grab his hand and forced his eyes open. It was Kurama! He tried to call out, but only managed a weak cry, barely audible over the roaring in his ears. Throwing his other hand out wildly, his nails raked the back of the fox's hand, leaving red trails of blood from his claws. The fox demon was sweating and Kuronue felt his grip loosening. "Kurama!"

It was over before either demon knew what had happened. Kurama collapsed on the ground, all his strength spent, sweat pouring off his brow. Between his ragged gasps the fox weakly called his friend's name. There was no answering cry. The fox demon closed his fists and slammed them into the ground angrily. He was gone, Kuronue hadn't made it. He had been so close! An angry tear trickled down Kurama's cheek but he made no effort to brush it away. His claws were digging into his palms from his tense fists.

A bright glare flashed in Kurama's eye and he looked up. Something on the ground was reflecting the last of the day's sunlight. Raking his claws through the grass the fox demon's hand closed on a stone, smooth and hard. He rubbed his thumb against it, not focusing as he scraped away the mud. It wasn't until he uncovered something red that Kurama blinked and took a closer look at the trinket he'd found.

"This is Kuronue's necklace, the one he always wears." The fox's hand closed around the blood-red stone and he slammed the fist holding it back into the ground. Kuronue was probably dead by now. He could still hear him, echoing in his ears: "Kurama!" He'd been so close, so stupidly close! Kurama gently fastened the necklace around his own neck and pushed himself from his knees to his feet.

The sun had completely set by then and it was dark. The fox walked aimlessly through the park as though in a dream, his eyes slightly out of focus. The trees around him became more closely grown and cast strange shadows with their upper branches on his face, but he didn't care. Without a sound he sprung into a tree and slumped on one of the branches, the leaves rustling softly from his jump. He could feel the cold metal of Kuronue's amulet against his chest, the last reminder of his life in the Makai. The moonlight was reflecting off the red stone set in the center, casting a reddish glow on Kurama's face. Red, like blood.

* * *

Kurama's thoughts were haunted by Kuronue's pained face and he got no sleep that night. Just before sunrise he retreated from the cover of his tree and dropped to the ground. The surroundings the fox found himself in were strangely familiar; he was back at the playground where he'd been before. He hadn't noticed in the dark. Kurama spotted Akiko coming toward him and immediately changed his direction, hoping she wouldn't notice him and wondering why she was in the park before dawn. Of course, following the luck he'd had the past day, she looked directly at him and changed her own course.

There you are," she exclaimed, hurrying over toward him. "I was so worried after what happened yesterday." Akiko halted when she saw Kurama's mournful eyes. "What happened?"

The fox sighed and turned away, his eyes tightly closed. He couldn't, he couldn't tell her what had happened the night before; couldn't tell her his friend was dead. When Kurama opened his eyes he saw Akiko, closer to him than she'd ever been, looking up in his face with concerned eyes. He took a step back and Akiko didn't pursue him, instead waiting where she stood for him to reveal some information. When he didn't say anything, Akiko turned her back and made to leave, hoping her feigned absence would draw some details from Kurama.

"Kurama?" Akiko asked when she was sure he wasn't going to say anything, "Rena came up to me yesterday and asked about you. She's astounded that you turned her down."

"So?" the demon snapped bitterly and Akiko turned back around in surprise. "That little bitch got what she deserved. Clingy human slut." Kurama growled and bared his fangs in Rena's memory.

"What is with you today? Something happened yesterday, didn't it?" Akiko pressed carefully, watching as Kurama's eyes, already hardened with anger, narrowed into his darkest glare. Then, to her immense surprise, he turned his back, his eyes shadowed by his long, silver bangs.

"You really want to know?" he asked her darkly, and Akiko mentally decided she didn't want to know, though she said nothing to Kurama. "You really want to know, do you? The portal that sent me here opened again last night. My friend got trapped in the middle and is probably dead by now." He gritted his teeth as a fresh wave of tears built up in his eyes. "And you know why? Because I was too slow to save him! I was right there, right there, and I couldn't even pull him free!" Kurama cursed silently as a tear made the jump from his eye down his cheek.

Akiko was speechless. It must have been horrible! She watched helplessly as Kurama glared at the base of the nearest tree. He looked so alone. Before she knew what she was doing, Akiko stepped alongside the fox that had become her newest friend and took his hand in her own. He jumped and looked down at her, but Akiko wasn't looking back, instead watching the tree. Kurama forced himself to breathe and calmed his racing heart, suddenly aware Akiko was resting her head against his arm. A warm glow was circulating his body from where Akiko had his hand. Before he knew it, his hand had closed around her own and his head drooped to rest on hers.

* * *


	5. Consequences of Your Actions

Chapter 5: Consequences of Your Actions

* * *

A painful burning sensation was the only thing that penetrated Kuronue's dark world. Sweat dripped off his forehead and he could feel dried blood on his temple. And…and someone was saying something, he could hear their voice, faint and far away. The pain in his head surged suddenly and he choked before mercifully passing unconscious.

Something wet was pressed against his forehead and Kuronue winced as it brushed his wound. He was alert this time, able to hear the things going on around him, which were relatively little. Someone brushed past him and Kuronue felt the soft hem of a cloak graze his face. He wanted to open his eyes, to look around, but his eyelids were too heavy. He was forced to listen as someone bustled around him, and then spoke.

"You're lucky to be alive Kuronue."

It was Hyoga. Kuronue tried to say something, but he only succeeded in throwing himself into a coughing fit. Hyoga chuckled and held something under Kuronue's nose, allowing the bat demon a sniff. It smelled sweet, like incense. Kuronue realized it too late--Hyoga had drugged him! His head was swimming and the pain in his head was already nearly gone. Kuronue willed himself not to fall asleep again; he wanted to be able to know what was happening around him. But it was too late. His mind went blank.

Hyoga sighed and worked quickly, gathering his medical tools. Kuronue was extremely lucky. If he hadn't closed the rift when he did, it was likely that the demon would have been cast into the chaotic crossing. The bat demon had fallen back through once he'd closed the connection. Kuronue wasn't dead, but had been badly injured, though the deepest wound wasn't something he could treat. Kuronue had been so sure he could go, so ready to see Kurama, he would be devastated when he learned the truth. But until then, Hyoga would have to let him sleep.

He'd taken Kuronue and set up a camp as soon as the demon passed back through. Using what medical knowledge he had, Hyoga began to try and mend what wounds he could, though there was something embedded far enough into Kuronue's leg he had to put him out. Picking up a small knife, serving as a scalpel, Hyoga began the precise work of cutting out the object, which turned out to be a large hunk of rock.

After he'd successfully removed the rock Hyoga set to bandaging Kuronue's leg tightly in a splint. It was likely he wouldn't be able to walk for a few days. Picking up a bowl of water from his side, Hyoga sprinkled some on Kuronue's brow to wake him. The demon twitched and his power rose, a sign he was conscious. Laboriously, Kuronue forced his eyes open.

"What…happened?" he asked, his voice shaky. Kuronue reached up and felt the wound on his head, which had been cleaned and was starting to heal. "I remember…" But he couldn't remember anything. Kuronue's memory was blank.

"You're quite lucky actually," Hyoga said calmly. "Had I not sealed the passage when I did it's most likely you would be dead now." The shaman collected a vial from the stack of bottles nearby and poured a drop into Kuronue's mouth. It burned like fire and Kuronue was sure there was steam flowing out of his ears. But then the burning sensation stopped and he felt life back in his limbs.

"I…can move!" he exclaimed, but when he tried to sit up he began to cough heavily and had to flop back down again.

"I restored the power to your muscles," Hyoga told him, "but you won't be able to move about freely for a while yet. Your body has yet to recover from its ordeal, and I daresay the rest wouldn't hurt you either."

"Where's…Kurama?" Kuronue felt a sinking feeling in his gut and searched Hyoga's face for answers. Kurama had been right there; he'd felt his hand. The fox had to have passed through with him. He was probably just waiting for him to say something like that before making his appearance.

"He didn't make it," Hyoga replied softly. "He wasn't able to come back." He watched Kuronue take in that information then backed away as the demon rolled on his side to stare at the rocks in the distance. Kuronue had cared about Kurama more than anything and Hyoga didn't know how he would take this new turn in events. It proved Kurama might not be able to return.

Kuronue bit his lip and blinked away tears. Kurama wasn't coming back. He felt for his necklace, then gasped when he noticed it was gone. "Where…?" Kuronue hid his face in the crook of his arm and suppressed a groan. "Damn," he cursed softly.

* * *

Kuronue drifted in and out of consciousness the rest of that day. The few times he was awake Hyoga was usually nearby, glancing over at him every once in a while to make sure he was okay. Kuronue gathered that Hyoga was planning to wait until he could fly before they left the mountain, but it was beginning to look more like a permanent camp every time he woke up. A fire was burning and it was obvious Hyoga had been gathering some provisions. Kuronue was very bored when he was awake.

But when he was asleep, however, he was in a different world, a world of humans. They were all around him, seemingly oblivious as they passed by. It was so crowded in the humans' world! Everything seemed to be going at once. But then he woke up again, and even though he was glad to be alert, he felt a sense of loss whenever he awoke. He had been hoping to see Kurama, crazy as the idea was.

"Ah, you're awake," Hyoga said, noticing Kuronue's attentive gaze. "It's about time too. You only slept for a few hours that time."

"Gee thanks," Kuronue growled, baring his small, pointed fangs. He longed to sit up, to move about, but his limbs were like lead and he didn't have any feeling in his left leg, the one Hyoga had operated on. Just how long was it going to stay numb? Kuronue longed to ask, but he figured he'd only be told to wait. Instead, he decided to rephrase his question. "How long until I can move again?"

"You can't already?" Hyoga asked in surprise and Kuronue shook his head, not liking the look on the shaman's face. That was obviously not a good thing. "I restored the power to your muscles a long time ago. You should be able to move quite easily."

Kuronue tried to push himself up but his elbows bent and he collapsed back on the ground. "What the hell?" he growled. What was going on? And that look on Hyoga's face was far from reassuring. "What's wrong?" he demanded angrily. "What are you not telling me Hyoga?"

Hyoga shook his head and looked away. This was not a good sign, Kuronue had already guessed that much. He could still be recovering from the shock of being torn between the two worlds. Hyoga hoped this didn't mean Kuronue would be paralyzed, despite the obvious signs. He knew of Kuronue's occupation as a thief and knew paralysis wouldn't sit to well with him. Maybe he just had to rest. Hyoga hoped the solution was that simple.

Kuronue ignored the shaman's silence and continued sharpening a stick he'd found with his claws until it formed a mini spear. He tossed it casually into the air and watched as it fell and stuck point first in the ground, just out of his reach. He growled at the twig and threw a fistful of dirt at it.

* * *

Kurama was lost in his thoughts, still standing where Akiko had met him nearly an hour before. What had come over him all of a sudden? He growled irritably and tried to recall what she'd done to make him open up like that. Kurama had told her everything, all about Kuronue, about the rift and its reopening… He growled again, startling a bird that had landed on the grass nearby. Was he going soft? Had this lack of bloody demons and constant threats gone to his head—or more importantly, to his heart?

"No," Kurama muttered to himself. "No. I was a thief, and a good one too. I'm above such weak human emotions." But in his heart, he knew that was a lie. He knew he was just saying that as an excuse, an excuse not to admit something that he'd tried to hide since he'd met Akiko. An excuse not to say he could love.

The amulet around Kurama's neck gleamed and he picked it up, turning it over in his hand. It felt warm in his palm, not cold and dark like before. Kurama looked down at his reflection in the ruby stone and was startled to see, not his own glaring face, but Kuronue's amber eyes looking back at him. "Kuronue," Kurama whispered, but as soon as it had appeared the image vanished, and Kurama saw his own pitiful gaze once again.

"My imagination?" he asked himself, tilting the gem at different angles, hoping to catch a glimpse of his friend's face once again. It had to have been in his mind, it was impossible for there to be any other explanation. But maybe this was a sign. Maybe it meant Kuronue wasn't dead. Kurama sighed and shook his head. He was starting to sound like Hyoga. He gently let the pendant fall back against his chest.

* * *

It was obvious when Kurama woke up the next morning that something had happened, though what it was he couldn't tell. He sat up from his place in the bushes—he'd grown tired of sleeping in trees—and looked around. Apart from a leaf in his ear Kurama couldn't tell what was making him so tense. There was no wind that morning and it was very warm and humid. A swirl of new smells confused him for a moment as he tried to differentiate one he recognized—Akiko's. She should be there, she usually made her morning rounds at that time. Kurama detected her scent, but it was far away. He decided to wait until she got closer before making himself visible.

After waiting for half an hour and killing several hungry flies Kurama spotted Akiko coming toward him. She was carrying something, a package of some sort. It was fairly obvious that it was for him by the way she was holding it. Akiko stopped when she thought she was just outside Kurama's range of vision and hurriedly adjusted the strings on the parcel, fussing with its wrappings. Then she stepped from behind the tree and waved to Kurama as she hurried over.

"Hi. Are you okay?"

"Fine," Kurama growled, but Akiko tugged his ear and gave him a look that said quite plainly she knew he was lying. "Okay, maybe I'm not feeling the greatest, and I don't think you would be either!" Kurama stood up, but Akiko caught his tail and pulled him back down.

He growled at her for touching him and spun around, his sharp claws catching her wrist by accident and ripping it open. Akiko gasped as blood dripped off her arm and splattered on the ground. Kurama watched, his mouth open slightly in surprise, as she tried to stop the blood from staining her clothes further by wrapping her wrist in her jacket. He reached out to help, but Akiko pulled her arm away from him as she staggered to her feet. Throwing Kurama a final dirty look over her shoulder, Akiko hurried away.

The fox demon watched as the last friendly face he knew vanished into the trees. He snorted. "Served her right." Kurama held his hand out in front of him, watching Akiko's blood dry on his claws. His ears drooped slightly. "Why does everyone I know hate me?"

* * *

"The nerve of him!" Akiko exclaimed, slamming her door so violently it rattled the paintings on the walls. She stormed through her house, banging random objects in frustration. Sure, it was understandable that his claws were sharp, but you would think he'd have enough sense not to try and hurt people with them! Just the thing a demon would do. Akiko flopped on her couch and turned the TV on, but her thoughts were far from her favorite show.

Something about the look in his eyes when he first saw her that morning kept nagging at her. Usually he had insolent eyes, cold to everyone, but something was different today. He had actually looked calm, as though he was in perfectly normal surroundings. The fox demon she'd seen the past days was tense, always alert, but the demon she had met that morning was so…normal. The thought was slightly amusing, picturing Kurama in human clothes walking through the streets as an ordinary person.

Akiko clicked off the television suddenly and stood up. She would go back and see him. He'd had time to cool down and would probably enjoy having some company. Akiko paused at the door with her hand halfway to the handle. What if he was still mad at her? She'd go anyway and if he was too cranky she would just leave again.

"That's stupid logic," Akiko muttered to herself as she locked the door behind her. If he didn't want her before, then why would he want her company now? She stepped onto the sidewalk without answering her own question. Secretly, Akiko was hoping Kurama would let her stay.

Taking the familiar path down the street and to the park, Akiko let her thoughts drift. She'd walked this way enough to know where she was going without paying good attention. Her thoughts drifted to Kurama's demon friend. What was he like? Akiko longed to ask but figured that would be a sure way to piss Kurama off. She giggled as she wondered if he was half as good-looking as Kurama.

"Well, you sure seem happy today. Can we ask why?"

Akiko's laughter froze in her throat as she glanced up. A sneering face smiled down at her and Akiko realized too late that she had taken the route through Cody's territory. He'd threatened her before, a few days back, but Kurama had intervened and pummeled his face into the street. It was obvious that he'd injured the thug fairly well; bruises and cuts were still visible on his face.

"Your friend's not here to save your butt today. That's too bad, really. I brought some reinforcements along this time." Cody smiled at Akiko's look of panic as the rest of his gang emerged from an alley. "We were in a hurry last time and only wanted some monetary support. But now," he took a step toward her and caught her arm before she could run, "we're after better things."

"Leave me alone!" Akiko shouted, struggling to pull free from his grip. Cody's other hand was inching toward her chest and she stomped down hard on his foot. He winced and loosened his grip just long enough for her to pull free. Akiko didn't stop to think before bolting in the opposite direction. She could hear the footsteps of Cody's gang behind her and sped up, trying to ignore her pounding heart and the wind roaring in her ears. Someone grabbed her injured wrist and she flinched, tripping on the concrete at the same time and falling over backward.

"Running won't work, we'll just catch you," Cody said smugly as she struggled against two of his gang. She was much bolder than before, he realized, though couldn't figure out why. Maybe a fight for something more important than her money had spurred some kind of reaction that he hadn't thought of. He wouldn't know, he was always the thief.

Akiko was practically gasping for air from the effort she was exerting to try and break her captor's grip when an idea struck her. When this happened before Kurama had stepped in on her behalf, even though he had no idea who he was saving. She knew the fox demon's keen senses would be able to hear her if she shouted, and she did, loud and clear. "Kurama!"

This caught everyone off guard for a moment as they tried to figure what she was shouting about. Cody was doing some fast thinking and told his goons to drag Akiko into the alley they'd waited in. Hopefully they would be less noticeable from the street if she—and she undoubtedly was—shouting for help. Akiko fought with renewed force as her hopes of escaping diminished as they pulled her farther and farther from the road. She shouted again and was shook vigorously for her efforts.

"Shut up or we'll have to hurt you."

Akiko gritted her teeth as her arms were bound together and managed to work herself into a position where it would be impossible to tighten the rope completely. She hoped more than anything that Kurama had heard her and was coming. He had to have noticed the despair in her voice. Unless he was still mad at her, Akiko knew Kurama could hold a grudge. Then she heard a voice that nearly made her faint with relief.

Kurama landed softly on the ground, his eyes gleaming dangerously. His withering glare fastened on Cody, and the human swallowed visibly. Kurama was wearing his disguise, but that wasn't enough to prevent them from recognizing him anyway. "Let her go," Kurama commanded in his soft, murderous voice. "Let her go," he repeated when nothing happened. "Fine, I don't care, it makes everything so much more interesting."

That was all Cody's nerves could take. Being threatened by another human was one thing, but by a person with pointy fangs and amber eyes was quite another. With a wave of his hand the gang ran in different directions, leaving Akiko in the middle of the alleyway. Kurama watched them go with a look of deepest hatred before kneeling down and scooping Akiko into his arms. He jumped onto a balcony and then onto the roof, landing with a soft thump. In his arms, Akiko shivered.

Kurama gently set her on the rooftop and tenderly began to remove her bonds, all the while allowing Akiko to sob on his shoulder. Poor girl, she must have been scared to death, Kurama thought. He was sure if he hadn't arrived when he did Cody and his gang would have had the time of their lives. Kurama's hand brushed the bandage on Akiko's wrist and he paused, running his fingertips across the wound, trying to tell how deep it was. When the last of the rope had been removed and tossed across the roof Akiko threw her arms around Kurama's neck and embraced him.

"I was so scared," she said, her face pressed against his shoulder so her voice was slightly muffled. Kurama was startled for a moment before pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. She was trembling, he noticed sadly, and he gently stroked her cheek to calm her. She stopped crying but still shook slightly in his arms. Kurama softly wove his hands through her hair.

"I'm glad I showed up when I did," he said quietly, and Akiko pulled away from him just enough to look into his eyes. She looked so helpless, and for the first time Kurama was pleased about doing a good deed. Akiko was still looking at him, and Kurama felt himself lowering his head until he was close enough he could feel her breath on his face. Akiko finished for him; she pushed herself up just enough for their lips to touch.

Kurama allowed Akiko to take her time before pulling away from him. He smiled at her and she blushed, clearly startled by her own daring. Kurama was startled too, but for a different reason. Akiko's kiss had so much more feeling, even if it wasn't as passionate as Rena's. He caught himself before thinking it was also more enjoyable.

Kurama picked Akiko up and jumped into the air, feeling the normal exhilaration of flight surge through him. Akiko held loosely to his shirt, watching the buildings below them shrink until they looked like small dots amidst a large black blanket. She smiled and laughed out loud in excitement as Kurama wove through the air, holding her tightly as he performed acrobatic turns and flips. He started a steep ascent and flew straight upward until they were among the lowest clouds, where he hovered for a moment, allowing Akiko a look at their misty surrounding.

"It's so pretty," Akiko whispered, gazing at the clouds all around them with a new sense of admiration. Kurama smiled and began his descent so quickly Akiko threw her arms around his neck for fear she would fall. Further toward the ground they plunged, Kurama remaining calm while Akiko panicked, certain he would crash into the ground. Just before they hit the earth Kurama pulled up, flying slowly ten feet above the ground.

"You jerk!" Akiko groaned when she had recovered from their fall. She punched Kurama in the shoulder and he loosened his grip as though dropping her, catching her just before she slipped from his arms. Akiko grabbed his shirt tightly and Kurama chuckled, landing softly on the ground.

Kurama had made sure they would land in a deserted area and just stood for a moment with Akiko in his arms, enjoying her company. It was relaxing for him to be with her, just standing and letting the world move around them. With her he felt he didn't have to be on his guard, didn't have to be alert. Heck, he wasn't aware of much more than her breath on his neck and her gently scent.

"You know, it's funny, when I'm with you," Kurama said, "I don't need to be awake. There's some kind of security that comes, whenever we're together."

Akiko didn't answer, her eyes focused on something in the distance. "Who is that?" she asked, aware that Kurama's sight was much keener that her own. Kurama looked up and saw immediately what had caused that tone in her voice. Someone was coming toward them, though Kurama didn't know enough about humans to know who. "It's a man," Kurama whispered, "about my height, slightly duck-footed. He's wearing a blue uniform, official looking, and carrying a stick."

The man was close enough now that Akiko didn't need Kurama's sight to identify him. "It's a police man. Here, put these on." She pressed a pair of sunglasses into Kurama's hand and he casually slipped them on as he broke away from Akiko. "You tail's not showing, is it?" she asked and Kurama shook his head, grateful he'd thought to tuck it in before he left. She smiled kindly at the officer and nudged Kurama just enough to give him the hint to do the same.

"Good day to you," the officer said pleasantly, glancing from Akiko to Kurama. "There have been some strange sightings around here lately and it's advised you both head indoors."

Sightings? Kurama groaned as he remembered what had happened the previous day and he began to sweat. Could the officer see through his disguise? Did he know he was standing and holding a calm conversation with the demon in question? From the unsuspecting look on the officer's face Kurama was sure that he'd only heard a second-hand version of what had really happened at the park the previous day and probably didn't believe it was a demon at all. He looked as though the thought of a demon in the park was almost humorous.

Akiko, noticing Kurama wasn't going to say anything, hurriedly spoke up, "We were just going. Thanks." She nodded and smiled as the officer tipped his hat to her and strode off in the opposite direction before giving Kurama a panicked look.

"This is great," Kurama grumbled in a whisper to Akiko, "now the law enforcement is involved."

"It just means you can't go back tonight and neither can I. Anyone there from yesterday will recognize me, and you can't show your features to anyone. Well, you've gotten us into a good mess."

Kurama was about to argue but realized it truly was his fault and bit his lip. He was the one that had overreacted with a balloon. "Then what do we do?" he asked, a little sharper than he intended. There weren't many places he could hide in the open, and without human connections it would be nearly impossible to stay hidden for long. Think… The idea came to him just as Akiko supplied a solution, and Kurama was very pleased that he'd thought of it too.

"You'll have to stay with me. My parent's are away for the weekend and won't be back until Tuesday." Akiko glanced at the sun and said with a little more edge in her voice, "We should probably think of leaving. It's getting dark anyway, and we wouldn't want to get jumped by a demon in the dark." She winked at Kurama, who scowled in reply before picking her up again and taking to the air, streaking back toward the city.

Now he was in a real mess. News did travel fast and the whole city was looking for him. Not only that, but he was forced to hide out with Akiko until he could find away back. Not that he really minded that so much… He stole a glance at Akiko in his arms. She was excellent company, he admitted it, but she was also a wonderful kisser… No, he told himself firmly, you're with her because you have no choice, nothing more. Why were humans sparking his interest like this anyway? Kurama rarely gave many of the demons he saw a second glance, unless they were truly atrocious or gorgeous, but he was watching human females all the time. Kurama pondered that until they were flying over the city.

"Do you remember where you saved me the other day?" Akiko asked, sure that Kurama did remember. "If you follow that road south you'll come to a building with lots of antennas on it. Turn east from there and fly until you find another building with four stories. That's mine."

Kurama wondered for a moment if she really owned the building like she said, but figured it would look stupid if he was wrong and kept his thoughts to himself. He thought back in his memory and retraced his route from before, hovering a moment over the street Akiko had mentioned before spotting the building with antennas and flying toward that.

"What do those do?" he asked, circling the antenna building to look from all sides. Hmm. Could be some kind of defensive mechanism, maybe a shield, or maybe they moved even, and stabbed anyone who strayed too close. Kurama discarded that theory when he took a closer look at the antennas themselves. They were mounted securely.

"That's a transmitting station," Akiko said. "They send out radio signals." She spotted Kurama's confused look and, realizing he didn't understand, simplified the definition as best she could. "It sends out messages to other receivers, which do various things depending on what kind of signal was sent."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Kurama circled the building once more before continuing east. It wasn't long until he spotted a four-story building. "Is that it?"

"Yeah. If you land around back we can get in through another door besides the main entrance."

That sounded like good logic to Kurama and he landed lightly the back lawn. Setting Akiko on her feet the fox demon glanced around, surprised by the lack of humans in this area. It was quiet and no one except them was anywhere near; Kurama could just barely hear voices if he listened hard. Following Akiko through a door he found himself on a stairwell, presumably climbing from the basement to the roof of the building. She started up the stairs two at a time and Kurama followed, hovering slightly to save himself the walk.

"Don't," Akiko hissed. "What if someone were to come up behind us right now and saw you flying like that?"

Kurama groaned but landed on the stairs in front of her without comment. They climbed the monotonous stairwell until they reached the third floor, where Akiko showed Kurama the door leading to the hallway her apartment branched off of.

"Now don't sit here and try to mess with everything," she told him tersely as she unlocked the front door. "If you make a racket and the neighbors start showing up asking questions I swear I'll stew your ears and tail."

"Yeah, yeah," Kurama grumbled, certain that wouldn't be a problem. Akiko pushed open the door and Kurama's eyes went wide and he took a step back. There were things all over the place; big machines that made noise, smaller devices that had lights on them, and everywhere a feeling of impending doom. Kurama hesitantly stepped inside, staying near the door while Akiko followed him in.

"Okay, it's kinda late, but I'll cook something anyway. You'll have to sleep on the couch," Akiko said, indicating the piece of furniture behind Kurama. "My room is down the hall and to the left"—she pointed—"the kitchen is on your right"—she pointed to another, more open area—"and the bathroom's straight down the hall. Don't touch anything, okay?"

Kurama nodded, though he hadn't really been listening to what she'd said. Is this what the human world really looked like? So many machines. Kurama flopped down on the couch to think and take everything in. There was something humming in the room, though he didn't know what it was. His ears were twitching nervously and he was shivering.

"This has to be the craziest thing I've ever done," he thought, looking around the room again. What were all these strange devices? He was tempted to reach out and pick one up, but both his doubt and Akiko's warning not to touch anything stayed his hand. Instead he watched it from a distance, like a predator taking the measure of its prey. Whatever he was watching wasn't very big, and the only thing that it seemed to do was measure something.

Something in the far corner of the room caught the fox demon's eye next. It was large, almost like a table, but he could see something white running the length of it. Standing up, Kurama forgot his warning and stepped over to the table. He reached out slowly and gently poked part of the white border with his claw. Sound erupted from the table and he jumped back, tripping over a chair as he went and just managing not to fall over it. Ouch. Kurama righted himself and massaged his side where he'd hit the chair, aware of Akiko laughing in the next room.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch anything?" she joked, poking her head out the doorway to laugh at the disoriented demon in her living room. "See, that's what you get."

"Yeah? You're lucky I'm not deaf after that."

Kurama rubbed his ears, which were still ringing, and decided it would be safer with Akiko in the kitchen. He stayed near the doorway to watch her, leaning against the wall and trying to appear casual. Whatever she was doing she was good at it. It smelled good too. He closed his eyes and used his nose to monitor what she was doing. Something was burning but she took care of it. Kurama allowed his senses to drift after that. He couldn't smell too much of the outside world through the walls, but everything around him was bold.

"Okay, it's not much but I managed to scrape something together to eat," Akiko said, setting a pair of plates on the table. She nudged Kurama in the shoulder. "I'm talking to you."

"Shush," Kurama told her urgently, and Akiko fell silent because of his tone. Kurama's ears were swiveling back and forth anxiously, and he was looking up at the ceiling. "Akiko, you need to find a place to hide and do it quickly. There's someone here."

"What?" Akiko whispered, but Kurama pressed his hand over her mouth shoved her into the wall.

A cracking noise filled the nervous demon's ears and he jumped aside just in time; a demon appeared where he had just been standing. Kurama didn't waste any time. His senses told him, and he wasn't one to doubt himself; this was more than a normal demon. He jumped high and came down above the demon's head.

"Kurama! Wait, it's me!"

Kurama went rigid and landed to the side. He stared, not comprehending. He knew that voice, it had haunted his sleep those past nights, but it wasn't possible. "Who are you?" he asked in a wavering tone. "Speak clearly or I will kill you."

"Kurama, it's me, Kuronue! Listen to me, I know this looks weird but you have to believe me."

Kurama thought it looked extremely weird, seeing a demon that he had thought to be dead appear right in front of him. He nodded slowly, giving the demon (who looked exactly like Kuronue) a look that said clearly that he was still skeptical. Kurama wasn't a fool, he knew there were demons that could take different forms. "I know a demon named Kuronue," he said flatly, "but I am not inclined to believe that he is you, since I am almost certain he is dead."

"Kurama it's me! I was with Hyoga, he used his powers to create this image of me so I could talk to you. I bear a warning!"

"If that's true," Kurama said, but there was no doubt in his mind; not many demons knew about his friendship with Hyoga, "you should be able to prove it. Tell me, how shall you identify yourself?" Kurama glanced briefly over at Akiko, but she was behind the table so he could barely see her. If they were lucky Kuronue hadn't noticed her.

"My necklace!" Kuronue said desperately. "My red necklace. I lost it when I got trapped the other day."

That was all that Kurama needed. He smiled and pulled the chain from around his neck so Kuronue's amulet would be in plain sight. "You didn't think I would let you lose it did you?" he asked jokingly, then laughed. Kuronue was alive! Despite everything he had survived. Kurama could have jumped for joy, but he remembered where he was and fought the urge.

"Um…Kurama?"

Both Kurama and Kuronue spun around when they heard Akiko's voice. She crawled out from behind the table and stood up, glancing from the fox demon she knew to the bat that had just appeared in her house. Kurama looked happy, she noticed, and she felt a spark of courage. He wouldn't let any harm befall her.

"It's okay Akiko," Kurama said reassuringly, "he doesn't intend to eat us or anything." Both demons laughed and she smiled slightly. He did seem okay, despite being an eerie demon with large ears, but all the same she stayed next to Kurama.

"Now then, Kuronue, you said something about a warning? What's happened?"

Kuronue's gaze grew dark and he replied grimly, "You remember, back when you first passed through, that you took a direct path and thus avoided the Kakai barrier?" Kurama nodded. "Well, it had seemed we had gotten off easy, and it remained a secret that you'd gone. But then, later, I went after you, and things didn't go quite as planned."

"You couldn't pass through," Kurama murmured, and Kuronue nodded.

"That time it was a little more obvious to the three lords what had happened. They were puzzled by your disappearance, but this time they had it all figured out." Kuronue broke off for a moment, but Kurama had a sinking feeling what was going on. "They've taken Hyoga," he said finally, "Lord Raizen has him in custody at his castle. He says that if you don't return and the rift remains open he'll kill both me and Hyoga and send a horde of his own demon assassins after you."

A tense moment passed when no one spoke. Kurama couldn't believe what he was hearing and it made his heart race thinking about it. "So," he began slowly, "if I do return, then what will he do?"

Kuronue shook his head. "I have no idea, but I imagine he'll seal the rift for good and do whatever he finds fitting to you." Dropping his gaze to the floor, Kuronue said bitterly, "If you don't go he'll send assassins after you, if you do go he'll kill you his own way. There's no way to win."

Kurama agreed with that, but he knew what he had to do. If he didn't go back, Hyoga and Kuronue would die. Plus, the rift would probably still be open, and if Raizen found a way to work it he could send demons by the thousands into Human World. Without a Kakai to limit travel to demons less than D class it would be overrun. "Damn Raizen, he's such a human lover," Kurama growled. "It's not like I'm on a mass slaughter or something."

"Ah, you've struck the problem," Kuronue said, and he smirked. "Neither Raizen nor the other two lords can monitor demons in Human World. Once you left the Makai they lost all contact with you, and that scared them. Sure, you could be out here picking flowers with the humans, but they would never know that."

"So they're scared," Kurama suggested, and Kuronue half nodded.

"I think so, but more than that they're unsure. None of them have ever been to Human World and they don't know enough about it to dare try. Supposedly there are warriors from Spirit World scattered in disguise among the humans, exterminating demons so no one would notice their presence. They don't know how strong these bounty hunters are or what they do. In that regard they're unsure." Kuronue's eyes fell on Akiko and she winced.

"So I'm going to die here no matter what I do?" Kurama asked sharply, all his blood running cold for a moment. "There's no chance we could ever fight Raizen, he'd squash us like an E class demon. If only…" Kurama's eyes lit up suddenly and he fired a question at Kuronue. "What about the other two lords? They support demons in Human World, don't they? Is it possible that we could seek backup from either of the other two kingdoms?"

"We have no loyalty to Raizen," Kuronue said to himself, considering the idea. "Mukuro would back us," he said finally, "but I would stay clear of the third kingdom. If we were to pledge loyalty there it could be dangerous."

Kurama's heart skipped and he forced himself to breathe. It could be done, they had a chance. But…

"If we were to pledge loyalty under Lord Mukuro, it could start a war between the kingdoms. Raizen would be enraged that Mukuro provided us protection, and if they were to clash all of Demon World would be thrown into chaos. Even if Mukuro won against Raizen's kingdom, it would leave his kingdom weak enough to be overthrown by the third. All three kingdoms would be united under one rule. We couldn't risk that!" Kurama said urgently. He refused to look at Kuronue when he said, "We have no choice."

A minute passed in terrible silence. Defeat hung over both demons like a cloud, its force weighing on Kurama's chest strong enough to suffocate him. He was about to die, Raizen was going to kill him. Why had he ever come over to begin with? He just had to be curious, didn't he? "Any chances we could bargain with him?" Kurama asked dismally and Kuronue shook his head.

Akiko watched Kurama with somber eyes. True, she had understood very little of what they had said, but she was sure of one thing; Kurama was going to be killed. "I'm sorry Kurama," she whispered, but he just shrugged half-heartedly.

"My time's up," Kuronue said quietly. "Should I give Raizen your decision?"

"Yes," Kurama said glumly. "Tell him I'll be back before sunset tomorrow."

* * *

…_Kurama's going to die? Think about that one for a moment before you freak out. Is Kurama _going to die? I'm a Kurama fan here, so is he going to die_? …Let us use our brains here…_


	6. The Two Lords

Chapter 6: The Two Lords

* * *

The night passed in silence. Kurama wasn't able to get any sleep, Kuronue's words still fresh in his mind. He just couldn't accept he was about to die. He rolled over and stared at the wall, his heart pounding in his ears. Akiko hadn't taken the news well. She had vanished as soon as Kuronue had left and Kurama didn't see her again that night. He was leaving in the morning at first light. Kuronue had said he would leave a marker in the park where Kurama needed to be. Hyoga would then make a portal to take him back, where he would enter the custody of Lord Raizen.

He wasn't scared of Raizen, he never truly had been, but the thought that he would die like a common prisoner was too much to bear. He wanted to die on his feet, his claws and fangs soaked in his opponent's blood. That was the only way for a demon like himself to go, not by a clean beheading.

Dawn came all to quickly for Kurama. A bright sunbeam in the eye told him it was time to leave. He paused at the door with his hand on the knob. What about Akiko? He wanted to see her again, just a final time to say goodbye. She'd helped him through Human World and saved his butt more than once; he owed her at least a farewell.

"Are you leaving?"

Kurama jumped and spun around. Akiko was standing in the hallway, still wearing the clothes from the day before. She took a few steps forward, pulling her hand from inside her jacket. Kurama didn't move while she fixed something around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

"I guess…this is goodbye," Kurama whispered, fingering the necklace Akiko had clasped around his neck. There was a small pendant hanging on the end, a silver star. Kurama looked away, blinking furiously and willing it to just be over and done with. This was the hardest goodbye he'd ever done.

"I'll miss you Kurama," Akiko said before her voice broke.

The fox demon hugged her quickly before he pulled open the door and stepped outside. Kurama paused and took one last look back. She was watching him through unshed tears, but he saw the smallest trace of a smile on her face and returned it with one of his own. Then he turned his back and flew the length of the hall. He wanted to stop at the end of the hallway, but he forced himself to keep going and vanished through the doorway, giving Akiko one last wave over his shoulder. The door slammed behind him, and he was gone.

* * *

There was a solemn welcoming party at the park in the form of Kuronue's holographic image. The bat demon simply nodded to his friend and vanished. The rift appeared moments after, swirling ominously, a black mar on the perfect morning. Kurama glared at it as the start of all his misery and pitched a stone through the portal. Then he glanced about, searching for a hiding place.

There was a crack in the trunk of a tree nearby and he knelt down beside it, withdrawing a small package from inside his shirt. Kurama tucked the envelope inside the tree and stepped back to examine his work. If you looked just right you could see the brown envelope he'd hidden, but only if you came directly down the path like Akiko did every morning. That was what he wanted to know, whether or not she would be able to find it.

Kurama stood in front of the rift and took a final glance at the human world. He'd probably be one of the only demons to ever see it and live to tell the tale. What a story this would make! The fox demon stepped up and, taking a deep breath before the plunge, passed through the rift.

Lord Seiryuu and his private army were congregated in the mountains of Demon World, shivering in the cold and fiddling with their weapons. The army's orders were strict; they were to capture the demon that appeared through the portal and take him prisoner. They were not permitted to kill him, no matter what, under penalty of death if they disobeyed. He was essential to their lord's plan and could not be killed until it was secure.

The blackness of the void darkened suddenly, and Kurama appeared and landed hard on the ground. Everyone was motionless for a second as the winded demon regained his senses, then jumped into action. He was still confused, they knew, and Kurama was gagged and bound by a spell similar to Spirit Cuffs. He was picked up by a group of several demons and they went airborne, flying swiftly back to Lord Seiryuu's castle.

"That was too easy," Lord Seiryuu chuckled to the demon next to him, cloaked in black. "He is just the clueless fool you described him to be."

"I would never lie to you milord," Hyoga said, dropping the hood from over his face.

* * *

Kurama awoke in darkness, feeling as though every muscle in his body was sore and he was going to be sick. He didn't notice anything for a while as he drifted in and out of consciousness, but always there was the presence of demonic energy all around him. After he'd reawakened for the third time, Kurama thought he could just faintly see the form of someone else, just a very faint outline against the inky blackness. Whoever it was, he (she?) was demon, they were giving off their own demon energy, but it was weak and inconsistent. The more he watched and sensed their presence, the more unnerved he became, until he worked up his courage and spoke.

"I can sense you're there. Who are you?"

His response came as a small cry of joy, and then sharp claws severed the ropes around his arms and legs. Kurama sat up and massaged his ankles, slightly perturbed by the response he's received. Then the other prisoner's face came into view and he had to choke down his own cry.

A familiar pair of glittering amber eyes was watching him intently, and something soft and leathery like wings brushed his arm. Kurama reached up and grabbed hold of the long black ponytail that hung just within his range of vision, pulling it down swiftly and ending up with Kuronue's head in his lap.

"Why didn't you help me sooner?" Kurama hissed through clenched teeth, then he laughed and pushed his friend off, watching him rub his scalp with a smug expression.

"I'm sorry Kurama," Kuronue protested in a strangely submissive tone, "but I couldn't risk someone finding us, and plus, you weren't even awake most of the time."

"Right. So, where are we, exactly?" Kurama glanced around, but he couldn't see anything through the darkness and felt extremely stupid. "I thought you said we were going to Lord Raizen."

"What?" Kuronue exclaimed almost too loudly, "I never said anything like that. Kurama, I haven't seen you since that incident two days ago."

A lengthy silence followed his testimony. Kurama couldn't believe his ears. That had been Kuronue that had appeared in Akiko's living room, and he had seen him again in the park just before he passed back into Demon World. There was something wrong with this, Kurama had sensed it at first, and now everything was starting to piece itself together.

"So you're saying, if you're not betraying me," Kurama said levelly, trying not to let his voice get out of control, "that it was someone that stole your form and gave me that message last night. Because I saw quite clearly you, Kuronue, and we had a lengthy discussion about Lord Raizen and the possibility of Lords Seiryuu or Mukuro using the rift for their own purposes. You said Hyoga had used his power to create an image of you."

At the mention of the shaman's name a growl rumbled in Kuronue's chest and he retorted coldly, "Hyoga's been feeling really full of himself lately. That's something he would do."

"What do you mean? What's happened?"

"Hyoga's taking orders from Lord Seiryuu now," Kuronue said darkly. "That's where we are; Lord Seiryuu's dungeon."

A light flickered nearby and both demons fell silent, watching it approach. Soon a hooded demon bearing a flame in his hand came into view, along with the lord himself. Kurama glared at him, a growl forming in his throat and his claws flexed.

"You're absolutely right Kuronue," Seiryuu said in his surprisingly soft voice. He brushed his dark bangs from his face and Kurama felt all the strength leave his limbs as he stared into his hard blue eyes. "But do you know why we need you alive?" The flame bearer shifted, and Kurama saw Hyoga's familiar eye paint underneath the dark hood.

"Because for your plan to succeed, you need demons that have been to Human World," Kurama snarled, his eyes boring into Hyoga's, but the shaman didn't blink. "So it was you that betrayed us Hyoga, not Kuronue. You used your powers to create an image of him and told me nothing but lies last night. Lies except for that little bit about planning to send demons into Human World by the thousands."

"Very good Youko Kurama," Seiryuu drawled. "Hyoga's been taking orders from me for a long time. When he sensed the rift and a weakness between the barriers of the two worlds, I was the first demon he told. The second ones, of course, were you and your little friend."

"When you came to me and asked about anything interesting it was almost too good to be true," Hyoga continued. "I decided I could use you to test my theory and gave you that stupid riddle to work off of. Truly I just needed time to prepare, and when I saw that you were at the point of snapping with your frustration and Kuronue's ignorance I played my trap. The original plan, see, was to have you go completely annoyed with your friend so you would be angry with him once you arrived."

"We knew that once you arrived in Human World a message would be sent to King Yama of Spirit World and he would send bounty hunters after you. That was another part of our plan, to see how long you would last. Then was something we didn't expect. You made a human friend and started engaging the humans. We knew then that it would be harder for us to monitor you, so we had to do another test. I fed Kuronue false information about reopening the rift and sending him through. The fool, he was so sure he would see you again that he fell for it."

"So, it was all a trick?" Kurama asked bitterly.

"More or less," Seiryuu answered, "but you weren't the most helpful experiment. When you saw Kuronue, your bond with him was called into question. We had hoped you to be angry still and refuse to help him. We miscalculated, and instead you tried to save him. But Hyoga was able to seal the rift despite your aide to your friend, and we were still able to learn a valuable share of information through you. Information that you're still providing us by wearing that necklace."

Kurama froze, and he felt the cold metal of Kuronue's amulet around his neck as his chest shook from his ragged breathing. Everything, everything had been a lie. A trick! Kurama felt his anger burning in his heart and tried to lunge at Seiryuu, but with a simple flick of his hand the lord sent the fox flying backward and into the wall.

"That necklace you're wearing has told us everything you've been doing the last few days, and where you were last night. It's been mighty helpful, I'll tell you."

Kuronue knelt beside Kurama and helped his sit up, but his own hands were shaking. "What about myself?" he asked suddenly. "You knew I wouldn't be able to go, and once I tried it should have been done. Why did you keep me alive when you could have killed me?"

"That should be obvious," Hyoga said smugly. "You were another experiment. We wanted to see what would happen to someone that got caught in the middle. You were perfect for that. Unlike your friend, you played your role perfectly. And, my friend, if you think about it, we are in the process of killing you now. Remember when I operated on your leg? The medicine?"

"It's poison," Kuronue whispered, and almost automatically his hand flew to his throat.

"No you fool, if it was you'd be long dead by now. It's a paralysis medicine. You told me you were unable to move your legs at the time. That's the point, once we slip you the other potion I have that activates it, you'll be as good as dead."

"Bastards," Kurama snarled from Kuronue's side. He tried to stand but his friend pulled him back down, holding his arms behind him. Kurama growled at him but Kuronue didn't relent, increasing the pressure on his friend's wrists until the fox demon winced.

"We'll return for you tomorrow," Seiryuu told them. "We wouldn't want you to miss the moment this has all led up to." He waved to them before Hyoga extinguished his light and they were bathed in darkness once again.

Kurama snarled angrily at Kuronue and the bat demon released his friend's hands. He forcefully pulled Kuronue's necklace from his neck and threw it as hard as he could against the wall. The metal cracked and the gem shattered, scattering shards along the floor. Kurama ignored his friend's whimper and was about to throw himself against the wall as well when his hand brushed the charm that still hung at his throat.

"Who gave you that?" Kuronue asked when Kurama took the necklace off and held it in his hand.

"Girl I met in Human World," he answered simply, turning the star over on his palm. There were hinges on one side, and he slid his claw through the middle and opened the locket. Though it was small, he could just barely see the symbol for friendship carved inside. Kurama's hand closed around the locket and he couldn't resist smiling when he remembered Akiko's face the first time she saw him. "I won't give up Akiko," he whispered into his hand, "even though it looks bad for us, I won't give up."

* * *

A sudden spark of nervousness awoke Kurama in the middle of the night. As he sat up, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he glanced hurriedly about, searching out an intruder in the darkness. Kuronue lie asleep a few feet away, his wings curled around his body. It was safe for Kurama to say that he was completely unaware of most everything around him. Kurama put his nose to work and tried to find an unusual scent lingering in the air. There was Kuronue's (stronger than usual, which meant the demon had been locked up for a while and hadn't been bathing), the slightest whiff of Seiryuu's from earlier, Hyoga's and the scent of ashes…what was that one? Unusual…he'd never encountered anything like this before…

"Kuronue," Kurama whispered in his friend's ear, "there's someone here."

Kuronue blinked in confusion and sat up, putting his own senses to work. He immediately felt the chill that had awoken his friend and stared intently into the darkness, feeling slightly nervous. Someone had managed to sneak in and was waiting for them, probably laughing at their insecurity. Kuronue located the intruder just as his friend called out to him.

"We know you're here," Kurama said loudly, his voice showing no traces of fear or hesitation. "I suggest you show yourself."

Kuronue jumped as a hand rested on his shoulder, and he spun around with his fangs bared. Now that he knew where to look, he could see a pair of crimson eyes watching him, and the glint of a sword tracing every movement he made. Then from the shadows stepped a demon, and Kuronue had to prevent himself from laughing out loud.

"Quiet fool, or I'll cut your voice box out."

Kuronue gulped and took a step back, while Kurama took a few forwards and stared down over his crossed arms at the short demon. They locked gazes for a moment before Kurama shook his head.

"You aren't a demon of Seiryuu's," he declared, "but you're not here to help us either. You should learn to better control what your eyes reflect."

Before Kurama could blink the sword flew into motion, and shiny droplets of blood dripped from a cut on his arm. The fox demon blinked for a moment in surprise before flicking them into the air with his thumb, his eyes narrowed into a death glare.

"I'll only tell you this once," the demon said, "and if you miss it that's your loss. Lord Mukuro has ordered your presence in his castle. He sent me to retrieve you, with orders that if you refused I could kill you how I wished. Your powers are bound, we both know that, so it will be your choice whether you decide to stay or not."

"Why does Lord Mukuro wish for our attendance?" Kurama shot back. "The doings of other lords in their own kingdoms is no business of Lord Mukuro's. What does he offer that our present state does not?"

"It's simple," the demon growled, "if you stay Lord Seiryuu will kill you once the rift is complete. Don't look at me like that, all the lords know of its presence." He glanced from Kurama to the hallway outside his cell and back again. "Lord Mukuro says he will free you if you are willing to grace his castle with your presence."

"A very self-confident demon Lord Mukuro is," Kurama mused, raising an eyebrow in Kuronue's direction. The bat demon shrugged. "We have decided. You can tell your lord that we shall offer our attendance once he has freed us."

"That's what I'm here to do," the demon said, sliding his sword back into the scabbard on his back. "This won't be pretty," he warned them with the slightest trace of a smile. "If Lord Seiryuu's demons appear I won't defend you."

"So polite are Lord Mukuro's demons," Kuronue muttered. He flexed his wings and watched in wonder as the demon messenger pounded a hole through the wall with his fist, coated in demonic fire. "There's more to this guy than we thought," Kuronue muttered to Kurama as a good portion of the wall crumbled.

Shouts and curses erupted in the night from the direction of Seiryuu's castle, and Kurama grabbed Kuronue and jumped through the hole in the wall. Without thinking he took flight, following the other demon into the air. Below them Seiryuu's army was assembling, but without orders from their lord they were disorganized and didn't pursue them.

"Look out!" Kuronue shouted from somewhere on Kurama's left, and he swerved quickly enough to avoid a blast of energy aimed at him.

"Damn them," Mukuro's messenger shouted as another blast shot at him, and without even flinching he absorbed it, then fired back his own blast of fire. It struck its mark and several demons collapsed, burnt beyond saving. "Fly higher!" he yelled to Kurama, who pulled up steeply and streaked into the clouds.

Once he was high enough he was out of range Kurama leveled out, searching for his companions. After a few seconds Kuronue surfaced through the clouds and flew along with him, his wings beating powerfully enough to blow Kurama aside. A moment later the messenger demon showed up through the cloud cover as well, this time from above them. Once he was sure both demons hadn't been struck he shot forward, almost leaving Kuronue and Kurama behind.

"I'm not sure what to think about this," Kuronue whispered to Kurama once they'd caught up. "I don't trust this guy. When we were in that fight he absorbed an energy blast without a second thought. That's not something most demons can do."

"You're right Kuronue, he's easily an A Class," Kurama said, his eyes focused forward. "When I first sensed him I knew, and that was what prevented me from becoming too suspicious of his claim. Mukuro only hires the highest level demons to work for him, and this demon is almost as strong as they get."

"But you could beat him, couldn't you Kurama?"

"I don't know," Kurama admitted, "and I definitely won't try with this cursed spell still in effect." Kurama glared down at his wrists, still faintly glowing with a greenish light from the bond that had been placed on them. "No, I think we'll just have to wait and see what happens to us now."

* * *

Lord Mukuro's castle was located in the heart of the northeastern region of Demon World, hidden well in the mountains and nearly impossible to find unless the searcher already knew where it was. The castle was made of dark polished stone, shining in the moonlight. A pair of towers stood in the wall surrounding the fortress, one on each end of a gate that opened into a large bailey, where the demons that served the lord were housed. Then there was a smaller wall and inside it was the palace, home of the lord and his highest servants.

Kurama and Kuronue gazed at the castle in wonder as they made their descent, noticing the large wall that surrounded the entire setup. The only entrance was the steel gate, and they landed in front of it, aware of the immense size and sturdiness of the bars. After a few words with the guards they were permitted to enter, and the two new demons followed their messenger through the housings of the army. Dark gazes followed them until they reached the smaller wall, where they were stopped.

"The newcomers have to be identified by the lord," a guard said from the wall-top.

"Fine!" their guide shouted, and he turned to both of them. "They're sending out a guard to search you, so it would be better to know now if you're carrying anything stolen."

Kurama and Kuronue exchanged nervous glances but shook their heads. Luckily for them they weren't carrying any of their thefts. Neither of them had their weapons either, and that seemed a reassuring thought.

A guard appeared through the gate and beckoned Kuronue forward. Hesitantly the bat demon followed him into the gatekeeper's room, where he was questioned and searched. Kurama had to wait outside, blindfolded, and the fire demon that had bailed them had been allowed to enter by presenting what Kurama imagined was a pass. Now he was in the company of the gatekeeper, an older demon that bore a large halberd.

"It's your turn," the gatekeeper said in his deep voice, and Kurama was led into the room, where his blindfold was removed.

"State your name," the demon that had led Kuronue away ordered, and Kurama obliged, all the while taking in his surroundings. The room was small and there was an exit leading into the yard of the palace.

"Mukuro has to be paranoid or something," Kurama muttered as he tugged his shirt off over his head. The guard had been ordered to do a strip search, and Kurama hadn't been able to talk his way out of it. He was forced to stand as the guard searched his clothes. The only thing he had been permitted to keep on was his necklace, which they didn't think to be a threat to their lord. Personally, Kurama thought they were crazy. It wasn't the warmest in that gatehouse and he was starting to shiver, even after he wrapped his tail around his waist.

"You're permitted to pass," the guard said finally, tossing Kurama his clothes back.

"Finally," Kurama groaned as he tugged his pants on and tied his belt around his waist.

From there he was led out into the yard where Kuronue waited, awestruck by the sight before them. Mukuro's palace was just as amazing as the fortress, made of shiny obsidian. A mysterious green light seemed to be emitting from the windows and barbed spikes stuck out below the balconies. The front of the palace was a single story, most likely Mukuro's audience hall, but toward the back were several towers, one on each end of the building and the largest in the very middle. That was obviously the lord's quarters.

"That's amazing," Kuronue muttered to himself, looking up at the tallest tower. He'd never seen a demon lord's palace before. It would be worth becoming a lord to live in a place like that.

"You're permitted to enter," the fire demon said from Kurama's side. "I'm not allowed to attend the audience with you, but if you're disrespectful in Lord Mukuro's name I'll hear about it." With that he left Kurama and Kuronue with the guards and flew out the gate.

"Nice one isn't he," Kurama chuckled as the guards pushed open the doors to Mukuro's palace.

He only had to take a single step inside to know he was out of his league. The hallway they now stood in was enormous, and lining the walls were carvings of different demons, most of which Kurama had never heard of. Though it wasn't long, they were intimidated even before they came to the end of the hallway and stood before the huge wooden doors that marked the entrance of Mukuro's audience chamber.

"Well, we've got to do this sometime or another," Kurama said, and he pushed open the doors. Taking the lead a few steps in front of Kuronue the fox demon started toward the far end of the chamber, where there was a small dais and what immediately reminded him of a throne. Seated there was the strangest demon he'd ever seen.

Lord Mukuro, if that's who he was, was extremely well dressed, just as Kurama expected for a lord. At his knee rested a long sword and there were numerable broken weapons around the dais. But what truly surprised Kurama and made him pause was Mukuro's face. His entire head was covered in bandages, all except for his right eye, which stared out at them without blinking. It was disturbing, because that eye didn't look like it belonged to a demon. It didn't blink, but just stared at them as they approached and bowed low.

"You may rise," Mukuro told them in a soft voice that didn't fit his image. "I suppose you don't know why you're here." When both demons nodded slowly, he continued. "As my messenger told you, I am offering you safe harbor from Lord Seiryuu. He will not dare come after you in my territory."

"Forgive my ignorance, milord," Kurama said curtly, "but what use would a demon like me be to a lord like yourself? We came here knowing of milord's offer, but offers usually come with prices, and we would like to know milord's price before we set terms."

"A clever demon you are Youko Kurama." Mukuro rose, and Kurama took a half step back. "Let me see your hands," he commanded, and reluctantly Kurama held out his hands. Mukuro took hold of his wrists for a moment before a surge of power shocked Kurama and he looked down, surprised to see the green light that had marked his wrists had faded.

"He removed the binding," Kuronue gasped from Kurama's side. He offered his own hands to Mukuro and was removed of his spell also.

"You have nothing limiting your powers now," Mukuro told them, "and if you distrust me you are free to defend yourselves, though I would like to avoid that if at all possible. I wish to speak with you of an alliance, though that cannot be done until you are rested enough to listen." Mukuro snapped his fingers and immediately a pair of servants appeared at his side. "Take these demons to their chambers. Make sure they are well cared for."

A tall snake demon dressed in black robes gestured to Kurama and began to lead him quickly from the room. They exited through a small side door and appeared on a stairwell, spiraling upward into one of the towers. Not minding the stairs both demons flew to the top, where there was another hallway with the occasional door branching off it. One of these doors had been marked with a symbol that Kurama couldn't read, and this was the door he was led to.

"I take my leave," the servant said once he'd opened the door and made sure Kurama didn't need anything. He vanished into air, leaving a small puff of smoke as the only clue he'd been there.

Kurama took only a moment to look around before he collapsed on the bed, too tired to do anything else. His brain was buzzing with new information and he just wanted to sleep, but he didn't allow himself to doze off. Mukuro's offer had surprised him and he had to think his way through it before the dinner audience he was expected to attend that night. An alliance? Kurama didn't believe that for a moment. Mukuro was a powerful demon lord who could find the most powerful of demons to do his work, why would he want the help of a pair of thieves.

"We know about the rift," Kurama muttered, then suddenly fell silent. Alliance nothing, Mukuro wanted their knowledge! He wanted the power of the rift so he could use it. A demon that could send an army into Human World could control it completely if the fighters of King Yama didn't exterminate them. With all of Human World under their control a demon would be extremely powerful, maybe even strong enough to challenge the other lords for dominance. That was what Mukuro wanted, power over the humans!

Kurama's head throbbed and he gave up thinking about it, but his suspicions didn't fade. He would have to warn Kuronue before the audience so neither of them would accidentally slip and give Mukuro information. Kurama closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly, a smug smile forming on his lips.

* * *

It was evening when Kurama awoke, finally having a decent rest and feeling better than he had all week. One of Mukuro's servants had left a change of clothes on the table in his room and he took that as a hint. There was a basin of water in the corner and he knelt beside it, looking at his reflection.

"I look terrible," Kurama groaned. His hair was matted in places and his ears looked ruffled. Smudges of dirt on his face made him blush as he thought of what kind of impression he'd made on Mukuro earlier. Kurama wet his hands and washed his face, allowing the water to dry on its own as he stood on the balcony.

So Mukuro wanted his knowledge of the rift, he knew that much already. But what was the point of bringing both of them when he could get the information from him alone? Was it like Seiryuu wanted, to ask Kuronue about being trapped inside? Kurama wasn't sure how much detail Mukuro had about the rift, or if he even knew Kuronue had been unable passed through. It brought back the pain in his head as he debated it and reluctantly Kurama decided the only way he would know for sure was to ask, indirectly of course.

He turned his thoughts instead to the activity outside. Even though it was dark demons were scrambling around working on jobs, sharpening weapons and running errands. So this was what it really looked like in a lord's castle, none of that fake stuff about the armies waiting for battle in their armor all day and all night. Now that he thought about it the defenses around Mukuro's palace seemed lacking, not as stiff as he had expected. Either Mukuro was really confident or really foolish.

"Excuse me sir, but your presence had been requested by the lord. He wishes you join him downstairs."

Kurama didn't bother to turn around as the servant vanished. He watched outside for a while longer before deciding it would look bad if he was late and picked up the clothes he'd been given and looked them over, his nose wrinkling in disgust. They were trying to turn him into a man of the royal court and he didn't like it.

It wasn't so bad, he decided as he knotted the sash around his waist. He didn't look that different from before, really, except instead of white he wore navy. He ran his claws through his hair and sprinkled a few drops of water on it so would lie flat, then did the same with his tail. Finally satisfied with the refection that smiled back at him from his water basin, Kurama left his room and flew downstairs.

Kuronue was waiting for him in the entrance hall, looking very self-conscious. Kurama looked him up and down before forcing back a laugh and giving his friend a sympathetic smile. (A/N: Think a cross between Kurama and Hiei's normal dress). Kuronue was wearing black pants that extended to midway down his shin, where they buckled tightly around his leg. His shirt was sleeveless, and over it he wore a red sash, which tucked through the belt he had knotted around his waist and hung to his knees. The sash's trim was a royal blue and his belt was white. He wore his hair down instead of pulled back, and that was what caused Kurama to smirk as he led the way toward Mukuro's audience chamber.

"You'd better stop grinning like that Kurama," Kuronue warned as they passed through the doors, "or I'll have to tell everyone about the tail incident."

Kurama gulped and wiped the grin from his face immediately. His tail had finally returned to its normal thickness after that incident, he didn't need Kuronue drawing attention to it. "That was a cheap shot," he complained, but Kuronue only grinned in reply. He had him at that, and Kuronue knew it.

"Listen," Kurama said, all the playfulness gone from his voice. Kuronue stopped chuckling and listened, his eyes narrowed. "I did some thinking and I know what Mukuro's alliance really means. He's no different from Lord Seiryuu in his plans, just sneakier in his means. Mukuro intends for us to tell him about the rift." Kurama glanced at Kuronue, who didn't look very surprised by that information. "I think it goes without saying that we can't mention anything that would be useful for him. It's safe to say he'll have scribes hidden to take down our every word."

"It's not like we know anything about the rift anyway," Kuronue pointed out, "he'd need Hyoga for that." Kuronue spotted one of Mukuro's servants and approached him, leaving Kurama to puzzle in the center of the hall.

"This guy says we're expected to attend dinner with Lord Mukuro in the east wing," Kuronue called over to Kurama, who broke from his thoughts long enough to nod. "I guess the east wing's that way." Kuronue pointed to a door that sat in the back of the chamber, and he jogged over to it and pulled it open. "Kurama, get over here!"

The fox demon shook his head and followed his friend through the door, trying to mentally piece together a story to tell Mukuro, explaining why they didn't know anything about the rift. He was sure he wouldn't slip, but Kuronue was a different story. The bat demon wasn't the best at keeping secrets once he knew them. They'd paid for it a few times as well, and Kurama could only hope Kuronue kept his head until they were free to go.

"Thank you both for coming," Mukuro said from his seat in the room. There were two chairs set beside him, and he motioned for his guests to take them. A few servants hovered in the corners of the room, but they weren't what made Kurama tense; he could smell other demons hidden in the rafters.

"I've summoned both of you here tonight to speak of an alliance," Mukuro began, and immediately Kurama snapped to attention. "As you are probably aware, Lord Seiryuu has become increasingly bold with the movement of his armies and the expansion of his territories."

"Real emphasis on the armies," Kuronue whispered to Kurama with a snort, but the fox demon kicked him and gave him a glare that said quite plainly to shut up.

"He learned of something that put those big ambitions within his grasp the day you locate the void between our world and the world of humans." Mukuro glanced at both demons in turn but neither flinched, their faces remaining passively blank. "I'm sure you're aware of this, but with power over Human World, Lord Seiryuu would become one of the most powerful demons in our world. That would be extremely hazardous to the balance of power between the three kingdoms, and ultimately they would fall to Lord Seiryuu's rule."

Both Kuronue and Kurama nodded, having already discussed this themselves. Kurama was doing some very quick thinking as Mukuro spoke, and something about his story made him edgy. There was a lot of information in that statement that most demons of the royal courts didn't know. Kuronue seemed to guess what Kurama was thinking and shot a question in hopes of bringing it into light.

"Milord," Kuronue began politely, "before Kurama and I agree to an alliance we would like to make certain we understand milord's terms. You are offering us a position in your ranks in exchange for information concerning Lord Seiryuu's battle strategies?"

Kurama's breath caught sharply in his throat as he listened, then he turned to Mukuro to see his response. There was nothing to be read from the one mysterious eye that looked back at them, but there was definitely a certain stiffness to his back that hadn't been there before. Kuronue looked pleased with himself, and for a few seconds a tense silence hung over the demons.

"You are too clever for your own good," Mukuro said finally. "That was what I had planned to ask you for, but in light of this I have changed my mind. My deal is this: I will offer you protection in my kingdom from both Lords Seiryuu and Raizen. In exchange you will tell me all about this rift."

"And if we deny the offer?" Kurama challenged.

"I will return you to Lord Seiryuu, as you are his prisoners and I took you from his dungeon without his assent. You shall be returned to him and suffer whatever fate he has planned for you," Mukuro told them with a trace of triumph in his voice. They could not refuse such an offer.

Kurama looked at Kuronue and managed to catch the bat demon's eye. He looked panicky, just like Kurama felt. What would they do now? Kurama tried to search his friend's eyes for some hint, but they remained blank except for a nervous fear.

"Might we have some time to consider milord's offer?" Kurama asked, praying silently Mukuro agreed. Though it was clear that hadn't been the response he'd been expecting, the demon lord nodded and told them he wanted their answer in an hour's time.

* * *

"That couldn't have gotten much worse," Kuronue grumbled once they were free in the main hallway. Kurama couldn't agree more, though he kept his thoughts to himself. He longed for a quiet place to sit and think, but since they only had less than an hour he was forced to remain in Kuronue's company, walking around the grounds outside.

"I'm suspicious of the whole thing," Kurama told his friend as they passed the east tower. "Mukuro seemed nervous when you were talking, it bothered me at first and I think I'm beginning to see why."

"Explain," Kuronue said as he flopped in the grass on the south side of the palace. Kurama sat down beside him and was silent for a moment, his head on his knee. True, it could just be that Mukuro had been surprised by Kuronue's bold statement, it had been quite jarring for him as well.

"I think," Kurama began hesitantly, "that Mukuro wants us to believe that it's really just that simple, that we either accept his offer or get thrown back to Seiryuu. Think about it. Would Seiryuu have just let us escape if he knew we were going to the palace of his enemy with such valuable information? His army hadn't pursued us once we were airborne, and I think they were ordered not to."

"Are you saying Mukuro and Seiryuu are in this together?" Kuronue asked, and Kurama shook his head.

"I'm not sure of anything right now Kuronue. I just wish we had more time to think about it." Kurama rolled onto his back and watched the stars twinkle overhead. "Honestly, I just wish that whatever is going to happen to us just happens, so I can get out of this tangled mess. If we end up dead Kuronue," Kurama turned his head so he was looking at his friend, "I'm glad it was in a plan where we were true assholes to our executioners."

Kuronue laughed for a moment, then rolled onto his side so he was looking in Kurama's amber eyes, his face serious. "So that's what you choose, is it?"

His friend nodded, and Kuronue smiled. "I never thought it would have built up to this, with Mukuro and Seiryuu involved. Makes a guy seem special, you know? To be killed by one of those infamous demon lords." Kuronue turned away and sat up. "If that's what you choose," he said quietly, and he heard Kurama prop himself on his elbows to listen, "then I'm with you to the end."

* * *


	7. A Bloody Flight

Chapter 7: A Bloody Flight

* * *

Kurama pushed open the doors to Mukuro's audience chamber and strode inside, his head held high and his best friend beside him. Immediately Mukuro rose and stepped forward to meet them.

"Have you made your decision?" he asked, mentally making plans for their first assignment. He could use Kurama as a spy, the fox was stealthy, and his friend would make a good decoy. They would infiltrate Lord Seiryuu's palace and—

"We have," Kurama said quite calmly, "we would like you to take us back to Lord Seiryuu."

Sounds of shuffling attracted Kurama's attention to the roof, where Mukuro's demons had shifted position so their weapons would be have better range. Mukuro didn't speak for a moment, glaring at the smug demons in front of him. Kurama decided it would be a good time to finish what he intended to say.

"We took long consideration on milord's offer," Kurama said, "and were quite tempted by it. But once we thought further we found what had bothered me since I heard it. Milord was not being entirely truthful with us earlier."

Mukuro shifted his weight from one foot to the other and glanced up at his demons in the rafters, who immediately landed on the floor next to their lord. "So you caught me," Mukuro announced, then smiled. "I said you were too smart for your own good, and now it shows. You see, I never had any intention of returning you to Lord Seiryuu, you're much too valuable. So truly you have one option; tell me about the rift or I will kill you."

"Not meaning to be rude milord," Kuronue remarked, "but I see that as two options."

Before the bat demon could close his mouth the points of about fifty swords were pointed at his chest. Kurama jumped to the side and faced the weapons of the servants that had remained in the corners of the room. He kicked the sword from one and caught it in the air, bringing it down on the demon's skull. Before he could make a run for it a blade was drawn against his throat, and he was pinned against the wall.

"You won't escape," Mukuro growled as he stepped toward Kurama, who was struggling against the blade at his neck. "Either you tell me about this rift or I'll give the order." The servant that held Kurama's wrists nicked a knife across one and he flinched. "If you tell me, I'll go back to my offer and give you the protection I promised."

Kurama grinned, exposing both his fangs as he retorted dryly, "Fine milord, we'll tell what we know." He caught Kuronue's eye and the bat demon winked.

"Good," Mukuro said triumphantly, and he nodded to his guards, who sheathed their weapons. "Now then, start from the beginning."

Kuronue began the story, unable to keep the grin from his face. "Kurama and I were wandering aimlessly around Lord Seiryuu's territory almost a week ago, searching for something to do. I suggested we go and see a friend of Kurama's, Hyoga the shaman." At that part of the story Kuronue glanced over at Kurama, who continued.

"Hyoga told us of a rift between our world and Human World," Kurama said, thoroughly bored with the story. How many times had he retold it the past week? "He gave us a riddle; "where the sun and earth combine is where you will find this rift," or something along those lines. It doesn't really matter." Kurama met Mukuro's gaze and was pleased by the excitement in his voice as he told him to continue. "We found out last night in Lord Seiryuu's dungeon that Hyoga had been playing a trick on us and sent us through for the purpose to testing his and Lord Seiryuu's theories."

"This shaman is working for Seiryuu?" Mukuro inquired, starting to sound nervous again.

"Yep," Kuronue answered, "and has been for a long time. He opened the portal that sent Kurama and me through to Human World, then reported his success to Lord Seiryuu. When Kurama came back yesterday Lord Seiryuu told us that he intended to open the rift today and sent his demons through it."

"There was a problem with that, and it came in the form of a short fire demon messenger from your kingdom," Kurama finished, almost laughing. "When he bailed us the first demon that stood in his way was killed by a blast of fire. You'll never guess who that was."

Mukuro looked as though someone had slapped him. He glared from Kurama to Kuronue, whose self-control had finally snapped and was laughing under his breath. "Then you came here knowing you would be useless?"

"Yeah," Kuronue laughed, then gasped as a sword pierced his shoulder. He dropped to his knees as the guard pulled the blade from his shoulder with a satisfied smirk, splattering blood on the floor. Kurama's eyes went wide and he kicked the demon that had the knife at his throat, knocking him over and bolting to his friend's side.

"I'm fine," Kuronue said between gasps, but he fell heavily against his friend and Kurama pulled his arm over his shoulders to support him. Blood was flowing freely from the wound, which Kurama noticed with a shudder was extremely deep.

"We have to get out of here," Kurama muttered in his friend's ear, searching out the possible exits. "Can you still fly?"

Mukuro interrupted them as he stepped between the demons, kicking Kuronue across the room. Kurama tried to jump Mukuro, but he was tackled from behind and dragged to the ground, where a demon planted his foot in the fox demon's back. Kuronue landed and didn't move, and Kurama felt with a start his life energy decreasing. He'd lost too much blood.

"You're a lying bastard Mukuro," Kurama snarled, "you promised our protection!"

Mukuro merely smiled and beckoned a demon to his side. "Make sure they don't leave," he ordered, then vanished from the room in a flash of light. The demon he had instructed shot Kurama and Kuronue warning glances, but it was wasted on the bat demon, who had his eyes closed and was on the brink of unconsciousness.

"Kuronue!" Kurama struggled until he knocked the demon off his back and ran to Kuronue's side. He skidded to a stop on his knees and shook his friend roughly, noticing the slow rate of his breathing. "Kuronue! Come on Kuronue, snap out of it!" Kurama gave his friend another shove as he rolled him onto his back, not daring to hope. "Kuronue!"

Very slowly, Kurama pressed his hand to Kuronue's chest, holding his breath so he wouldn't be fooled. He felt a beat, then another, and let his breath out very slowly. Kuronue was still alive, but just barely. His wound was a lot closer to his heart that Kurama had originally thought.

Kuronue forced himself to try and stay conscious. He was their only hope of getting out, the only one that could fly them to safety. He had to, he had to stay conscious. Slowly the bat demon forced his eyes open and turned his head in Kurama's direction. "Kurama…what?"

"Kuronue, you have to stay with it. Here." Kurama pulled a vial from his sash and pressed it in Kuronue's hand. "Hyoga gave it to me, a long time ago. Before he met you," Kurama added, seeing the distrust in Kuronue's eyes. "It's not the partner to the potion he tricked you with, I'll swear to that. You have to drink it, it'll heal you enough for you to fly away."

"What…about you," Kuronue asked, "what will you do?" He pushed himself up and rested heavily on his friend's shoulder. "I don't know if either of us can get out," Kuronue said nervously, glancing around at the guards in the corners of the room. "They'll kill us."

"Probably," Kurama agreed, "but we said we would rather die than stay as Mukuro's prisoners. You can fly Kuronue, you could escape. Once you're free of the castle you would be under the protection of Lord Mukuro and would be safe."

"I can't leave you here Kurama."

"Yes you can, and you have to. It would give Mukuro too much pleasure to know he caught both of us." Kurama helped his friend to his feet. "They have been ordered not to kill us," Kurama said, pointing to the guards, "and I intend to make good use of that order."

Kuronue nodded and popped the cork from the vial Kurama had given him. It smoked for a moment before settling, and Kuronue wrinkled his nose. "I trust you Kurama," he whispered, and downed the contents of the vial in a single swallow. Fire surged through Kuronue's limbs and he dropped the vial, where it smashed. He was burning…Kurama had lied… And as those thoughts swirled through Kuronue's mind, he felt the flesh of his shoulder starting to heal. The blood that leaked from his wound began to subside until it stopped altogether, and he was left with a shiny mark where the sword had pierced him.

"Good," Kurama said from his side, "now go!" He shoved his friend toward the window, and immediately the guards sprang into action. "I don't have time for this," Kurama shouted to them as he felled the first two with a sharp swipe of his claws. "Kuronue, go!"

The bat demon had no choice. His friend was fighting for him, swinging his claws wildly. There was no choice, Kurama was right. He had to go or Kurama's life would end in vain and he would be captured. Kurama was strong, and already he had killed the first wave of guards. Kuronue tore his eyes away from his friend and stepped onto the window ledge. A demon lunged at his heels but Kuronue took flight, leaving him behind as he soared over the lawn and the palace wall.

Kurama managed to recover a sword from one of the demons he had killed and was swinging it in a wide circle almost so quickly the demons couldn't see it. Sweat dripped of his brow but he didn't bother. His sword dance had kept the guards at bay, but he was beginning to tire and they sensed that. He didn't have much anything else to do but let up.

As he had expected, the moment Kurama slowed his swing the demons swarmed him. More guards had appeared from somewhere, but they were weaker than Mukuro's private army was and he killed them easily enough. Backed into a corner, Kurama fought for his life against the guards, but the amount of swords he was defending against was too great. Occasionally a stray swing would manage to reach and cut him. There had to be something he could do to stop the demons from coming…

Kurama saw it just as the thought crossed his mind, and he leapt over the mob that pressed against him. There was a window, the one that Kuronue had escaped through, and demons were arriving through that. Kurama raced toward the window, aware of the demons on his heels. There was a ladder braced against the window… Without stopping to think Kurama dove for it and missed, but his sword struck and the top rung broke. The ladder began to tip dangerously and slowly fell backward, landing on top of the demons that had swarmed its base.

The remaining demons in the room snarled and threw themselves at Kurama, who sidestepped them and shoved several out the window. By then there were less than five, and they formed a tight circle around him. Their sword tips allowed his just enough room to spin on his heel, but that was all Kurama needed. He tore his shirt from his shoulders and threw it, where it landed and became entangled in the swords of three of the guards. Their faces were written in confusion as Kurama killed them with a single sweep of his sword, now so thoroughly drenched in blood that he was sure it would never come clean.

"Come at me," he snarled to the two remaining demons, one of Mukuro's guard and one a common soldier that had been forced through the window as an aide. Both trembled slightly at the tone of Kurama's voice. His eyes were burning like coals and his fangs were bared. They had spawned a fox demon in bloodlust. Without waiting for them Kurama swung, killing both instantly. He panted for a moment as he surveyed the corpses around him before collapsing in a pool of his blood.

At that moment the door at the opposite end of the hall opened, and Mukuro entered. He froze at the scene that met his eyes. All around the hall were the bodies of demons, those of his guard and a few from the army. The window had been broken, the glass scattered on the ledge and just inside. The bat demon was nowhere to be seen and in the middle of all the destruction was a blood soaked fox demon, collapsed on the floor from sheer exhaustion.

Mukuro stepped through the dead bodies and stood over Kurama, who had passed out. He was covered in serious cuts; his arms were soaked in his and his opponents' blood, his face barely recognizable against the sweaty blood marks and cuts. His pants and sash were stained beyond saving, and the sword that had aided him through the struggle was still clasped in his hand, the dried blood on it slowly eating away at the blade.

"Remarkable," Mukuro murmured, glancing from Kurama to the bodies around him and back. "Each and every one of them dead. This demon is too valuable to meet his death today in my halls."

A mass of demons had followed Mukuro in, and all of them were petrified by what they saw. Had that fox demon just killed all the demons of their lord's guard? At the command of Mukuro a pair of demons hurried to his side and picked up Kurama, staring at his bloodied body in amazement. They carried his from the room as Mukuro's second in command peered through the door.

"Shigure," Mukuro said to him, "we're going to need a new audience hall."

* * *

Night fell a day after Kuronue's breakout and Kurama's mass slaughter. The fox demon hadn't awoken after the affair, and demons tended him constantly under Mukuro's orders, though the lord was rarely present himself. Under their treatment Kurama had healed, but the scent of blood that hung over him couldn't be removed. His claws had remained deep red as well, the blood of his enemies soaked in. The cuts that had been on his arms had left ugly scars, though with the medicine Mukuro had they were disappearing. And still Kurama didn't wake.

As morning dawned Mukuro dismissed his guards from Kurama's room, leaving him alone. He had sensed the wounded demon's power beginning to rise once again, a sign he was going to awaken soon, and if the situation wasn't handled right, could start a massive killing once again. Once a demon felt the joys of bloodlust it was hard to steer him from that path. Mukuro's assumption proved correct; Kurama awoke around midmorning.

At first the fox demon was confused. Where was he? What had happened? He had tried to stand up, but the wounds on his legs forced him back down. Instead Kurama lie on the bed and stared at the ceiling, allowing the memories of the previous day to flow back. Someone had healed him, at least enough for his body to do the rest. They had dressed him in clean clothes as well, not the bloodstained ones he remembered wearing. Kurama searched his mind and tried to recall what had happened to him. Blood on his claws was the first reminder, and the stench of stale blood was the second. He had fought for Kuronue, and that was all he could remember.

Mukuro came into his room about noon, the first visitor Kurama had since he'd been awake. All the other demons had been ordered to leave the fox alone. The demon lord sat down on a chair across from Kurama and watched him for a moment. The fox demon glared back, but he didn't move. His claws were stuck in the mattress below him from anger, and instead of challenging Mukuro then and there like he wanted he forced himself to stay down.

"As you can see, we've tended your wounds," Mukuro said after a few moments, once he was certain Kurama's self-control wouldn't snap. The fox merely glared at him, but Mukuro noticed he had stolen a glance down at his chest, which was covered in shiny scars that the demon medics were working to remove. His muscles tensed as he returned Mukuro's steady gaze.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Kurama spat, his hands trembling in anger. Had Kuronue been caught too? His fangs nicked his lip as he growled at Mukuro, who merely shrugged and stood up. Kurama growled and slid against the wall as Mukuro knelt at the bedside, the fox demon's claws resting where they could easily reach the demon lord's throat.

"I don't intend to harm you, if that's what you're thinking," Mukuro said calmly, watching Kurama glare at him with a renewed curiosity. This demon wasn't angry with him, despite the obvious signs. Kurama was trembling, his chest heaving from his ragged breathing. "You're scared, aren't you?"

The fox demon spit at him but didn't reply. Kurama tried to get his breathing under control, but he continued to pant as Mukuro looked him over, apparently pleased. Had he ordered the demons to heal him? Why? Mukuro had something planned for him, he knew that. There was no other reason for the demon lord to keep him alive.

"Come here Youko Kurama," Mukuro demanded softly, but Kurama remained with his back resting firmly against the wall. It was a trick. Mukuro reached out and rested him hand on Kurama's chest, who immediately tensed and dug his claws into the demon's arm. What was he doing? "Relax," Mukuro told him, and even as he said it Kurama felt his muscles start to loosen. What was this crazy demon doing to him?

"I'm going to read your memories," Mukuro said, as though answering Kurama's question. "It won't hurt, but you will be put to sleep. You'll wake up when I'm done. I swear I won't harm you."

"Your word means nothing to me," Kurama growled, but he felt himself start to slip away. This had to be Mukuro's spell. Why did the demon want to read his thoughts? Kurama's eyes shut and he faded away with that thought.

Mukuro concentrated hard on Kurama, trying to ignore the demon's soft breathing. His mental resistances were extremely strong, and even in sleep he was blocking him. In his weakened state Kurama didn't last long, and Mukuro broke into his thoughts a moment later. He gasped and his eyes went wide at what he found.

Kurama was kneeling in the far corner of the audience hall, Kuronue beside him and leaning heavily on his arm. From his sash Kurama pulled a vial and handed it to Kuronue, who hesitantly accepted it. They discussed something Mukuro could only catch scraps of, but it sounded as though Kurama wanted his friend to drink it. Then he nodded toward the guards and shoved Kuronue toward the window. The bat demon drank whatever was in the vial before he leapt onto the windowsill. Kurama turned from there and faced the demons that had approached him. He killed two with a swipe of his claws and yelled at Kuronue, who vanished through the window. A sword fell near his foot and Kurama picked it up, swinging wildly and falling into a defensive sword dance. The demons charged him and he killed them, then dove for the window and missed. The guard that had grabbed him fell dead, along with the demons behind him. Kurama got pinned by five demons and threw his shirt at them, confusing three and slaying them instantly. The other two had been frozen in fear and were slaughtered before Kurama passed out.

Mukuro broke his connection in Kurama's thoughts with a small gasp. He had killed them all, over twenty-five of his strongest guards. That was the extent of bloodlust. Mukuro sensed a strong desire for blood the farther he probed in Kurama's memory, the part closer and closer to his arrival in the hall. At first Kurama had fought for his friend, but as the blood began spurting around him he lost him mind in it. That was what Kurama couldn't remember, and what Mukuro had to find manually; what had happened once Kurama lost himself.

Slowly the demon lord stood up, waiting for Kurama to wake up. That memory, it was terrifying, and though Kurama didn't suffer with it, he could smell the blood on his claws and could see the wounds the slaughter had left him with.

"What happened?" Kurama asked groggily, his eyes opening and falling on Mukuro. "You look like you saw something terrible." He had to smirk at the pale demon lord that stood in front of him, nothing like the composed demon he'd known.

"Do you…can you remember anything of yesterday?" Mukuro asked.

"No. I thought you said you going to read my memories. Why are you asking?"

"I did, and it wasn't pretty. Do you have any idea how you survived my guards?" Mukuro watched Kurama's face closely as the demon considered. He could tell if Kurama was lying, and there was nothing but truth in his eyes when he answered. "You killed them," Mukuro said, "each and every one. You're too dangerous to keep in my halls. First thing tomorrow I will have my guard escort you away from my palace. You are free to roam my kingdom, and I grant you the protection I offered, though I doubt you'll need it."

"Thank you," Kurama said softly.

He had gone into bloodlust, it was obvious when he thought about it. That was why he couldn't remember anything. His emotions had run free and he had killed them all. There hadn't been much choice, Kurama tried to tell himself, and truthfully there hadn't been. Either he killed them or they killed him. He would just have to be more careful in his fights and not lose himself.

Mukuro backed out the door and left Kurama alone to think. That fox demon was dangerous, despite whatever he thought. He had to get him out of the palace in case he lost it again and killed them all. Mukuro stopped in the hallway. Maybe he was exaggerating Kurama's condition. The drive to kill had been spawned from love for his friend, a wanting to protect him from the swarms of guards. Maybe that wasn't bloodlust, at least not the kind he considered. Kurama's will to protect lie in Kuronue, unless the bat demon was in danger he wouldn't snap.

"Am I making a mistake?" Mukuro asked himself. "Should I let this demon go? If it's not bloodlust sparked by the sight of blood, he may be useful to me after all. No," he said firmly, "I told him I would release him and I am a demon of my word. He will go free."

* * *

At dawn Kurama found himself standing at the wall of Mukuro's fortress, waiting for the demons to clear him and allow his exit. He was leaving! First he would find Kuronue and make sure he was okay. Once he was with his friend he wasn't sure what he would do.

"You're clear," a guard told him, and Kurama stepped through the gate outside. The mountains rose on both sides of him, creating a clear path from the palace.

"Kurama Kurama, you are free to go," Mukuro said from behind him. "I release all bindings I had on you and offer you my protection. When you find your friend, tell him he has my pardon and my protection."

"Thank you," Kurama said, then bowed to Mukuro. He jumped backward and took flight, rising straight up until the fortress walls below him turned into nothing but a blur. Clouds swirled around him as Kurama leveled out, flying south, hunting Kuronue's energy.

Kuronue looked upward, shading his eyes with his hand. He was sure he felt someone approaching. A shadow appeared in the sky and Kuronue watched it grow larger as it approached. There was something about the form that neared him, something familiar.

Kuronue's eyes lit up as the demon alighted beside him, and he stepped back to look him over. "You look terrible," the bat demon joked, and an ear twitched, but other than that the demon remained passive.

"Just as bad as you do Kuronue," he retorted before embracing the bat demon. "We made it," he whispered in his friend's ear.

Kuronue pulled away from Kurama and smiled. "You know," he said, "I think it would have been much more exciting if Mukuro had actually killed us. Given us an honorable death in his palace, not his pardon and protection."

Kurama cuffed his friend upside the head and smiled back, his eyes shimmering. They were both free. "So what do we do now?" he asked, and Kuronue shrugged. "We could try and find another rift to Human World," he joked, earning him a dark look from his friend. "Okay fine, let's just find something." Laughing to themselves, the pair of demons walked toward the rising sun, sure they would find something to keep themselves entertained. Around his neck, Kurama's necklace glimmered in the light.

* * *


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue

* * *

Akiko returned down the path like she did every day, but the usual spring in her step was gone. It had been a week since Kurama had passed back through to his own world and to his death. She'd stopped crying for him, but the memories had still remained, and going back to the park was like spreading salt on the wound. Today, instead of taking the usual road, she turned on one of the smaller paths and walked down it for a while, just to think.

Something small caught her eye as she approached a bend in the path. There was a tree, and in the center of the trunk was a crevice. Akiko knelt down beside the tree and pulled a small envelope from the crack. It was blank and unsealed, so she opened it. As her eyes scanned the page her hands began to tremble, and a tear coursed down her cheek. Inside was a letter, addressed to her.

_Akiko,_

_If you found this, that probably means a violent demon lord hasn't overrun your world, and that means I'm still alive. I'm wearing your necklace and I don't intend to ever take it off. I miss you already and I haven't left yet._

_There's a picture in here that Rena took that day she and I ran off together. It's to make up for the picture of you I took from your house. I think you'll notice when you stop to look. Your picture's currently tucked in my sash, and until I can have Kuronue frame it (he's good at stuff like that) it'll be there._

_I know now that it's impossible for me to travel back and see you again. We were lucky the bounty hunters that work in Spirit World didn't notice me (yes it does exist, and so does King Yama. If everything goes totally wrong when I get home I just might end up on trial with him). Don't waste your time worrying about me, I'm going to be fine (unless, of course, you are under demon dictatorship, and in that case we're all probably dead anyway). I miss you even now as I'm hiding this, almost so that I can't bring myself to put it somewhere where you might not ever find it. I want to thank you because I never did while I was here, but you were the first friendly face I'd seen in a long time._

_Youko Kurama_

Akiko read the message over twice before she finally understood it. Kurama was alive! With trembling hands Akiko tucked the note back into its envelope and slid it into her backpack. She returned to the path and practically skipped down it to attend to her job. She was elated for the first time in a week, and at that moment nothing could pop the little happiness bubble that had lodged itself in her chest.

Just before she passed the tree that had been Kurama's hangout Akiko stopped, allowing her eyes to linger on the spot that had once been occupied by the fox demon. "Youko Kurama," she muttered to herself, "a legendary thief from Demon World. No one at school is going to believe this."


End file.
